Dorset Police officers will be heading to London today to aid the Met Police as hundreds of thousands of people are expected to take part in a pro-Palestinian protest.
The march will take place in central London on Armistice Day to call for a ceasefire after Israel’s response to deadly attacks by Palestinian militant group Hamas last month.
Protesters will officially gather at Hyde Park, before marching to the US embassy in Vauxhall, south of the Thames.
A spokesperson for Dorset Police said: “We can confirm that we will be providing mutual aid. Any request is reviewed on a case-by-case basis and Dorset Police has established procedures in place for responding to mutual aid requests.”
The protest has been a highly controversial topic due to the fact that it falls on Armistice Day, however organisers have confirmed that the protest will remain ‘well away’ from the Cenotaph, and that it won't begin until after the 11am silence.
South Dorset Conservative MP Richard Drax recently told the commons that he thinks the demonstration should be banned.
He said that he is proud of the royal family, the UK and “our democracy”, saying: “It saddens and concerns me that there is a significant minority who do not share my views, and some of them plan to march in London during this Remembrance weekend.”
The MP for South Dorset added: “The right to protest peacefully in this country is long held and rightly so.
“However, Saturday’s march must be banned. Not only is it disrespectful, but there is a genuine risk of disorder, potentially on a large scale.
“I would urge those who are genuinely concerned about the war in Gaza to stay at home on this special weekend of Remembrance.
“To those who do attend, I say there can be no other reason than to cause trouble.”
The Home Secretary, Suella Braverman has also been criticised for describing pro-Palestine demonstrations as hate marches and accusing the police of favouring left-wing groups over right in an article written in the Times.
She also characterised alleged reports that organisers of Saturday’s march were linked to Hamas as “disturbingly reminiscent of Ulster”.
Some Conservative MPs were left frustrated and uneasy about the comments, with calls for the Prime Minister to sack her.
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