This is the moment a pro-Palestine protester seemed to perform a ‘Nazi salute’ in front of Jewish counter-demonstrators.
The Met Police want to speak to the man for an alleged public order offence in central London following Saturday’s protests.
The elderly man man can be seen wearing a dark flat cap, a dark brown jacket, dark brown scarf and black rucksack as he allegedly performed the salute on Coventry Street between 1pm and 4pm.
A video posted by counter-protesters Stop the Hate shows the man in a crowd appearing to salute.
The group said on X: ‘When we tell you these are hate marches, when we tell you that British Jews are frightened to enter central London when they come to town – THIS IS WHY.
‘A Nazi salute in full view of officers and directed at Jews.
‘How many more instances like this do Jewish Londoners have to endure before you do something to stop these hate marches?’
Metropolitan Police had warned a heavier than usual presence would be apparent yesterday as the protests coincided with the start of Christmas shopping and Winter Wonderland festivities.
This is the moment a pro-Palestine protester seemed to perform a ‘Nazi salute’ in front of Jewish counter-demonstrators
The elderly man man can be seen wearing a dark flat cap, a dark brown jacket, dark brown scarf and black rucksack as he allegedly performed the salute on Coventry Street
Counter-protesters from Stop the Hate gathered on Coventry Street near Piccadilly Circus on the route of the PSC demonstration to urge marchers to ‘stop supporting terror’
Bemused shoppers took photos as the streets around Piccadilly Circus in central London were flooded with Palestine Solidarity Campaign demonstrators.
The march from Park Lane to Whitehall marked their 21st protest since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023.
Meanwhile counter-protesters from Stop the Hate gathered on Coventry Street near Piccadilly Circus, on the route of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) march, to urge the marchers to ‘stop supporting terror’.
The pro-Palestine protesters and counter demonstrators hurled abuse at each other as they met at Coventry Street, but were kept apart by metal barriers and a line of police officers.
Offences include chanting slogans, wearing clothing and displaying articles such as flags, signs or logos that express support for those groups.
The pro-Palestine march was also blocked at Piccadilly Circus when a group of men holding a banner ran into the middle of the road.
They were pushed out of the way by police after a brief struggle.
Counter-protesters from Stop the Hate gathered on Coventry Street near Piccadilly Circus
Thousands participated in a pro-Palestine march through central London on Saturday
However, Met Police posted on X later in the afternoon that the PSC march had ‘passed the Stop The Hate counter-protest without incident’.
PSC speeches took place in Whitehall, including from independent MP Jeremy Corbyn, with the assembly finishing by 4.30pm.
The group, which has been at the forefront of organising pro-Palestine marches across the country, is demanding an end to ‘British complicity in Israel’s genocide and apartheid’ of Gaza.
Saturday’s demonstration follows the agreement on Tuesday night of a 60-day truce between Israel and Iran-backed militants Hezbollah to suspend hostilities, with both sides withdrawing from southern Lebanon.
Last week, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defence minister, and Hamas’s military chief, accusing them of crimes against humanity in connection with the war in Gaza.
The UK would respect the process set out under domestic legislation when it comes to the arrest warrant, Downing Street said.