I didn’t go to observe the Al Quds rally and support the counter rally this afternoon for several reasons. The revised timing made it awkward for committments I could not break at church and my husband and daughter were concerned so we (husband and I) followed the events either side of the river by websites and live feed. Live feeds included UK Sploosh, Young Bob (they met our mutual friend SP Steve on Vauxhall Bridge) and GB News.
This rather nasty poster comes from the Telegraph.
Pro-Iranian supporters including one carrying a sign reading “boom boom Tel Aviv” have gathered in central London for the annual Al-Quds Day demonstration.
Thousands of pro-regime protesters carrying Iranian flags and pictures of the late religious leader ayatollah Khamenei assembled on the south side of the River Thames at Albert Embankment.
A van bearing a screen was showing footage of US and Israeli strikes, funerals, and an AI image of Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu and Jeffrey Epstein lined up shoulder to shoulder.
It is the first time the Metropolitan Police has used the River Thames to keep opposing sides apart during large-scale protests.
I don’t think the police seriously thought protestors would swim the river to reach each other for a fight; the Thames isn’t a river for swimming through London, although a few endurance swimmers have done so. But there was the possibility of falIing/pushing/jumping, plus it would have been an excellent observation position.
I can’t be sure as a short haircut, Joe 90 spectacles, a pasty complexion, skinny build and a dark hoodie are not unique features; more than one young man present may have answered the same description. But a young man very like him was filmed being arrested at the end of the rally as Al Quds demonstrators were filtered towards Vauxhall Bridge and the parked coaches. Heidi Bachram caught the moment. I believe it to be the same boy.
An overall snapshot was that neither rally was as heaviliy attended as the police and Home Office initially planned for. I heard they expected 12,000 attendees for Al Quds and maybe 6000 suporters of Israel, our Jewish neighbours and Free Iran. It was more like 1000 each side.
As has been my experience the live stream roving citizen journalists found the atmosphere on the north bank with the Free Iranians and Israelis friendly and celebrating their friendship, while the Al Quds area was tense and menacing. They seemed to spend more time on that side. As a professional team they passed said ‘more content here’. British Jews singing the God Save the King and folk dancing is fun but bad news sells more newspapers.
This is a bit of video from Stop the Hate. I can’t embed but it’s a circle dance.
Here is a second video from Stop the Hate – I missed cake !
Over in the Al Quds occupied Albert Embankment life was more grim.
SP Steve recorded chants of Death, Death to the IDF. We heard this constantly as we followed the roving citizens.
Heidi Bachram also caught video of punk (c)rapper Bob Vylan repeating his Glastonbury hate which started the whole chant.
The group of both citizen journalists who separated then came together and the accredited journalists were recognised and not welcomed by the Al Quds organisers. Their credentials were challenged. The Al Quds group seemed to be issuing their own ‘press passes’ to favoured news teams and these young men were not they.
My experience is that any rally or march organised by the Jewish community starts on time, runs efficiently through the list of speakers and finishes on time, while the Al Quds march starts when it is ready, usually some hours after the proposed muster time, goes at its own speed and finishes when it likes and the police allow this.
However today UK Sploosh filmed as the rally made its way along Albert Embankment towards Vauxhall Bridge at 5 minutes past 3. It took him by surprise, so used are we to the usual elastic time keeping. He filmed the many coaches lined up waiting, even with the reduced turn out, ready to take the protestors back up north home. Maybe a dozen Godiva Coaches from Coventry (and probably serving Birmingham) Sky Coaches who are based in Manchester. I know from the adverts that coaches were expected from Bradford/Leeds in West Yorkshire.
Three arrests but no further trouble are reported now that both rallies are well over (5pm).
In the light of the number of terror attacks in Canada, the US and Europe this week it is when, not if the UK will be the site of yet another. I am relieved that today was not that day.
