Palestine protest LIVE: Westfield shopping centre stormed as mob ‘takes over H&M’

This is the Westfield in Stratford, Newham, East London, the one you would walk through to reach the Olympic Park. It is big and busy and the place for East Londoners who don’t want to go as far as up West. I have been hearing reports all morning and seeing tweets on X but this is the first in a mainstream news outlet. From the Express. H/T Mr P and Ms W

Protesters have targeted an H&M store and branch of Starbucks as well as other shops at the shopping centre in east London during the Boxing Day sales.

Pro-Palestine protesters are targeting stores at a shopping centre in east London, including H&M and Starbucks. Footage shows crowds gathered outside a branch of the coffee chain, which was reportedly forced to close.

Images from Westfield in Stratford, Newham, show police and security guards protecting the entrance to the centre’s H&M store with eyewitnesses describing the scene as “carnage”. My informant mentioned that Zara (targeted on Oxford Street and Stratford on Christmas Eve) had closed and the mob had moved on to Next. 

It is believed protesters were moving from shop to shop, targeting businesses during the Boxing Day sales. The demonstrators have since been escorted out of Westfields and there is a cordon of police and Westfields security around the entrance.

The protesters have been trying to push through, but their attempts have so far been unsuccessful. Good.

Westfield Stratford City and the Metropolitan Police have been approached for comment.

Newham Police Comment

Police attended Westfield Stratford City after a small group of protesters arrived this morning to protest inside the building. Officers supported security staff to remove the group from inside the retail premises. They continued their protest peacefully outside with no disruption to other members of the public. The group have now dispersed.

Reply by a citizen: Always downplaying it, always pretending it’s nothing to worry about. Well you might fool some, but you’re not fooling us all. We know you’re as scared as the rest of us.

The mob (or their armchair supporters) are gloating on X

Note the involvment of Socialist Worker. Since when was the ‘struggle of the working class’ to intimidate shoppers and shop workers in a working class district? 

Shut down Zara on boxing day at Europe’s largest mall #FreePalestine #ZARA #Westfield #London pic.twitter.com/omAtPwXbxO

— Zill E Abbas (@Zill_E_Abbas) December 26, 2023

I’m not sure about largest, but I agree with ‘large’

Just seen Eastlondon live protest in Westfield against Zara 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸

— Sham_MentorTech 🇵🇸🍉 (@Mentor_Sham) December 26, 2023

This intimidation and harrassment has got to be stopped. It has gone beyond legitimate protest to become mob violence.