Revealed: Poppy vendor ‘punched and attacked’ by pro-Palestine mob

Veterans and Britons immediately rallied round a poppy vendor who mentioned he was punched and kicked by a mob at a pro-Palestine rally as he raised cash for charity.

Jim Henderson, who says he served with the Army in Northern Ireland, was set upon whereas manning a Poppyscotland stall at Edinburgh‘s Waverley Station.

There has been uproar over the incident, with folks sending messages of help for Mr Henderson, who instructed the Mail he served within the Royal Corps of Signals, 32 Signal Regiment in the course of the Troubles.

One mentioned immediately: ‘Dear Jim Henderson, simply to let that I’m carrying my poppy with delight, and as a tribute to all these servicemen from all international locations, who fought for our proper to be free. I want you all the perfect.’ 

Mr Henderson is a well-recognized face in Scotland at veterans’ occasions. During the pandemic there have been poignant photos of him alone, visiting the backyard of remembrance in Princess Street Gardens in 2020 when all occasions cancelled on account of Covid-19.

Social media footage reveals the 78-year-old – in his distinctive crimson beret – attempting to flee. But the assault ended solely when railway workers shoved the demonstrators away. About 1,200 had descended on the station to protest in opposition to Israeli assaults in Gaza.

Police chiefs yesterday urged organisers to postpone one other pro-Palestine protest, in London on Armistice Day.

Following Saturday’s ordeal, Mr Henderson mentioned: ‘I used to be getting shoved backwards, in peril of falling, and certainly one of them stood on my foot and break up my toe.

‘So I believed I had bought to get the cash out of right here. So I went down, and as I bent down somebody punched me within the again. And then I bought one other punch in my aspect.’ 

He mentioned that he managed to stand up and was rescued by three women in crimson railway uniforms. ‘I’ve by no means recognized something prefer it,’ he mentioned.

‘Chanting. Saying it is all in regards to the British Government, British folks, Jews.’

Mr Henderson insisted that he was attacked on objective: ‘You do not do this, and kick somebody from behind and that was after I could not get out of the way in which. That’s after I bent down and…bang.’

Cries of ‘ceasefire now’ and ‘Free Palestine’ drowned out rail service bulletins in the course of the demonstration.

Other protesters blew whistles, waved Palestinian flags and held up placards.

It was not the one instance of poppy sellers being intimidated over the weekend. Several at Charing Cross station in London had been surrounded by a gang of protesters.

Veterans minister Johnny Mercer mentioned the poppy was not a political image and the protesters ought to have made their arguments elsewhere ‘with out showing to attempt to intimidate bizarre residents attempting to gather a bit of money’.

Police finally needed to shut Waverley Station whereas the protest there occurred.

In one other incident, a person was arrested for broadcasting anti-Semitic feedback in London. And 4 officers had been injured close to Trafalgar Square by masked activists who aimed fireworks at them.

Scotland Yard bosses have referred to as for the protest on this Saturday’s Armistice Day to be referred to as off amid issues that splinter teams intent on violence will conflict with counter-protesters and trigger chaos within the centre of the capital.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman welcomed the Met’s stance, doubling down on her description of the demonstrators as ‘hate marchers’ and describing their behaviour as ‘thuggish’.

But it seems the demonstration, organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and different companions, will go forward – marking 5 consecutive weekends of motion.

Rishi Sunak’s spokesman mentioned: ‘To plan these kinds of protests in and round Armistice Day is provocative, it is disrespectful.

‘Should memorials be desecrated or ought to we see a number of the cases of racial hatred for which there have been arrests on the weekend be expressed on lately, I believe that might be an affront to the British public.’

Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, whose father fought within the British Army in the course of the Second World War and helped liberate the Bergen-Belsen focus camp, additionally criticised the deliberate march.

‘I name upon all respectable human beings to object to the march and ban it,’ he instructed TalkTV. ‘Because the image of that day is an emblem of victory and it is a image of doing good. Because if you battle evil, typically it’s a must to battle. You need to battle evil in an effort to uproot evil.’

Scotland’s SNP first minister Humza Yousaf insisted it was unacceptable to explain the pro-Palestinian occasions as hate marches and mentioned he supported the march in London going forward.

Scotland Yard says it has seen an escalation in violence linked to the protests and has made greater than 160 arrests associated to the Hamas-Israel battle since October 7. Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has the choice to write down to the Home Secretary and ask her to approve a ban on a protest if there’s a threat of significant dysfunction.

The power has to date determined in opposition to this plan of action, although it stays open if makes an attempt to dealer a compromise with organisers stay unsuccessful.

Deputy assistant commissioner Ade Adelekan final evening repeated pleas to leaders to rethink.

Organisers of the Armistice Day march have pledged to maintain the route away from Whitehall and the Cenotaph, and won’t start the demonstration till 12.45pm.

That is sort of two hours after the holding of the two-minute silence to commemorate troopers killed within the First World War and different conflicts.

The deliberate route will take them from Hyde Park – a couple of mile from the Cenotaph – to the US embassy in Vauxhall, south of the Thames. But there are fears teams may splinter from the principle crowd and conflict with Right-wing counter-protesters who plan to encompass the Cenotaph.

Mrs Braverman met police chiefs yesterday to debate how forces ought to reply ought to protests proceed within the coming weeks.

The assembly – additionally attended by safety minister Tom Tugendhat, police minister Chris Philp and ministers from the justice and defence departments – appeared on the ‘threat of additional escalation’. It centered specifically on how cops ought to reply, coming after Sir Mark in current weeks referred to as for higher police powers.

The Mail reported final week that Mrs Braverman had ordered a assessment of terrorism and extremism legal guidelines that would result in broader powers to regulate pro-Palestinian demonstrators.

Work by the Home Office will think about whether or not laws could also be required to bridge the hole between countering hate speech and coping with terrorism.

However any modifications could be unlikely to achieve the statute guide by the tip of subsequent 12 months.

The Festival of Remembrance on the Royal Albert Hall, which is normally attended by members of the Royal Family, will happen on Saturday, with a two-minute silence at 11am.

Remembrance Sunday occasions will happen on the Cenotaph in Whitehall the next day.

Mr Henderson was a volunteer for Poppyscotland, which mentioned: ‘While we respect the rights of individuals to protest inside the regulation, the protection and welfare of our volunteers is of paramount significance.

‘Our volunteer is secure and effectively, and we thank those who took the time to escort him out of the station.’