At least 100,000 pro-Palestinian protesters marched through the streets of central London today, with police making more than 80 arrests in an attempt to prevent clashes between protesters and groups opposed to the rally.

The pro-Palestinian march “led” to a counter-demonstration by far-right organizations on Armistice Day, where commemorations are held for the British fallen in World War I.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said it was disrespectful to hold the rally on Armistice Days, and ministers had called for the march – the largest to date to show support for the Palestinians and call for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip – to be cancelled.

Police said a “significant number” of counter-protesters were in central London, and there were clashes with them and police near the Cenotaph war memorial, near the House of Commons and Westminster.

Some of the right-wing protesters they threw bottles at the police and police vehicles rushed across the city to respond to reports of street tension.

London’s Metropolitan Police later said it made 82 arrests of counter-demonstrators in an effort to keep the peace as far-right groups tried to close in on the pro-Palestinian rally. A further ten arrests were made for other offences.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Scottish Prime Minister Hamza Yousaf have accused Interior Minister Suella Braverman of encouraging the far right after she accused police earlier in the week of sympathizing with “pro-Palestinian mobs”.

“The scenes of unrest we saw from the far right at the Cenotaph are the direct result of the interior minister’s words,” Khan said on social media.

Wide participation

Police said the pro-Palestinian rally was “very well” attended and that so far there have been no incidents related to it.

As they gathered at the starting point, pro-Palestinian protesters could be heard chanting “From the river to the sea Palestine will be free,” a slogan many Jews consider anti-Semitic and a call for the elimination of Israel.

Others held banners reading “Free Palestine,” “Stop the carnage” and “Stop bombing Gaza” as they followed the route of the march which was expected to end at the US embassy.

Following the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, there has been strong support and sympathy for Israel from Western governments, including Britain, and from many citizens. But the Israeli military’s response has also sparked outrage, with weekly demonstrations in London calling for a ceasefire.

In Paris, thousands of protesters, including left-wing MPs, marched holding placards with pro-Palestinian slogans and Palestinian flags this afternoon to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.

French left-wing politicians welcomed President Emmanuel Macron’s call this week for a ceasefire, including a BBC interview broadcast late on Friday in which the French president voiced his opposition to Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.