Latest news with #ParliamentSquare
The National
22-07-2025
- Politics
- The National
Why Iranian anti-regime protesters are out on the streets of London now
Squally showers of rain fell as tourists gathered around the statues of Winston Churchill and Nelson Mandela in London's Parliament Square. The scene could not have been further removed from the equivalent in Tehran, but here was a group of Iranian protesters literally regrouping in the wake of what US President Donald Trump dubbed the '12-day war' a few weeks ago. Why marshal up for a protest now, on a mid-summer Sunday, when a strange interregnum between peace and war has settled into place? The reasons for taking to the streets remain urgent. Organiser Ellie Borhan explains that the need for a new system is more pressing than ever. Under a new banner of the National Co-operation Campaign, the organisers would like to provide a bigger tent for the exiles opposed to the system headed by Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to push their agenda. It is worth noting that sometimes these protests can turn violent. There were clashes outside the Iranian embassy in London less than a month ago, which led to arrests of both protesters and supporters of the current establishment in Tehran. Teenagers and pensioners alike gathered on Sunday. There was even an Elvis-like singer who sang freedom songs. Many were royalists who would want the son of the Shah deposed in 1979 restored to power. Whether the people of Iran would come out for that remains a deeply controversial topic of conversation on these occasions. To the question as to why come on to the streets now is a straightforward answer. Many of these people are enduring threats in the UK and facing family safety issues back home. Some have arrived in the UK in the past few years, while others have been here for decades. Despite enjoying the protection of the UK laws, and some police presence around their demonstrations, there is a potential cost to this assembly. But to keep the cause of change in Iran alive, these demonstrators emphasised the importance of amplifying the voices of Iranians still inside the system. It is not long before talk turned to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the defender of the Iranian establishment, and how it has acted since the American and Israeli bombing raids on the country. For Ms Borhan herself, something has changed. She has been campaigning in the UK for years. But when the war was on, the IRGC included her family in the round-up of those that it deemed suspicious. 'Any person who is on the front of these protests, who is planning them or setting up events inside the Parliament, is raising awareness of what is happening inside Iran,' she said. It is already taken for granted that many of the people who choose to take a public stand in the UK cannot do so without knowing that this means a cut-off from their homeland. If they return to Iran, they risk problems with the authorities and potential detention. Tariq Ahmad, the former UK Middle East minister, spoke last week of how conscious he was while in office about the issue of prisoners and hostages when he was dealing with his Iranian counterparts. The fact that these people were in detention and facing dangers was something real to him, and it guided his diplomatic interactions with Tehran. Iran is in intense discussions with the big three European powers over its nuclear programme in the wake of the American-Israeli bombings. The Europeans have threatened to use their powers to 'snap back' UN sanctions on Tehran by the end of the summer, if these talks do not involve meaningful concessions. Yet, at the same time, France is appealing for three of its citizens, and the UK is working to secure the release of a married couple, who are being held in Iran. These are real factors, too, in diplomacy stemming from the system's internal controls. The IRGC's raid on Ms Borhan's family home led to a physical assault on her brother, as well as degrading and inhumane treatment, during the interrogation. She said the IRGC's search for his connections to her dissent included a strategy of damaging his dignity. Once reunited with her mother, who was also held, the family convened a crisis meeting before deciding to leave their homeland. For the opposition, there is a bitter coincidence of external weakness mixed with steelier internal repression coming out of recent events. They can see that Mr Khamenei was forced to shelter in a bunker during the spiral of events that not only saw bombs fall on the nuclear facilities, but assassinations of key figures associated with Iran's nuclear programme and the IRGC itself. Yet the propaganda and internal repression grow stronger. Exposed as lacking the capability to respond to aerial attacks or through its regional network of allies, the Iranian leadership is left with the tools it has to turn on its own people. Ms Borhan notes that this loss of prestige for the system has resulted in a bitter harvest inside Iran. 'They lost their pride,' she said. 'They couldn't even keep their own people safe in Iran. Everyone saw how much they have been weakened.'
The Independent
19-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Watch: Police remove protesters at Palestine Action solidarity demonstration
Protesters were carried away by police as arrests were made during a Palestine Action solidarity protest in London on Saturday (19 July). Dozens of people have been arrested around the UK at similar protests. Demonstrations also took place in Manchester, Edinburgh, Bristol and Truro as part of a campaign coordinated by Defend Our Juries. Protesters displayed messages of 'I oppose genocide I support Palestine Action' on placards before being surrounded by police officers in Parliament Square, London. Fifty-five people were arrested in Parliament Square under Section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000 for displaying placards in support of Palestine Action, the Metropolitan Police said.
Reuters
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
UK police arrest 55 at parliament rally for banned Palestine Action group
LONDON, July 19 (Reuters) - Fifty-five people were arrested at a rally for the banned Palestine Action group outside Britain's parliament on Saturday, London's Metropolitan Police said. The crowd in Parliament Square had been waving placards supporting the group that was banned this month under anti-terrorism legislation, the force said in a post on X. People from the rally, some wearing black and white Palestinian scarves, were taken away in police vans. British lawmakers proscribed the group earlier this month after some of its members broke into a Royal Air Force base and damaged planes in protest against Britain's support for Israel. Membership of Palestine Action now carries a prison sentence of up to 14 years. The group has called the decision "authoritarian", and a challenge to the ban will be heard at London's High Court on Monday. Palestine Action is among groups that have regularly targeted defence firms and other companies in Britain linked to Israel since the start of the conflict in Gaza. Police have arrested scores of the group's supporters at rallies across Britain since the ban came in
The Independent
19-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Police arrest protesters in central London for holding placards supporting Palestine Action
The Metropolitan Police have begun carrying away demonstrators in central London holding placards which express support for Palestine Action. It is the third weekend in a row which have seen protests against the proscription of Palestine Action as a terror group end in mass arrests in the capital, after 42 were detained last weekend. The force confirmed on Saturday it had started making arrests after demonstrators wrote the message "I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action" on white placards and held the signs aloft before being surrounded by police officers at the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament Square. Some were carried away by officers, while others were led away in handcuffs. A small number of counter-protesters held up placards which said "there is no genocide but there are 50 hostages still captive". In Truro, Cornwall, eight people have been arrested for holding the same signs, according to organisers Defend Our Juries. Other demonstrations are planned in Manchester, Edinburgh and Bristol. The Met said 70 people were arrested at similar demonstrations in Parliament Square over the past two weekends, while Defend Our Juries said a total of 120 had so far been arrested across the UK. It comes ahead of a High Court hearing on Monday in which the co-founder of Palestine Action, Huda Ammori, will ask for the green light to challenge the Home Secretary's decision to ban the group under anti-terror laws. The ban means that membership of, or support for, the direct action group is now a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison, under the Terrorism Act 2000. An increased police presence is expected in Westminster as officers police both the Defend Our Juries demo in Parliament Square and a separate large-scale march to Whitehall by the Palestine Coalition. There will also be a static counter-protest by Stop the Hate at the junction of the Strand and Waterloo Bridge, where the march will pass. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan, who is leading the policing operation, also warned his officers will be on alert over the use of chants similar to that of 'death to the IDF' led by Bob Vylan at Glastonbury Festival. He said: 'This is also the first large-scale protest on this issue since Glastonbury Festival where offensive chanting led by an artist on one of the stages prompted a police investigation. 'Investigations are also underway, led by Met officers, following similar uses of the same chant in London.' He went on: 'At previous protests, the area between the main march and any counter protest has seen the most heated exchanges. Officers will be particularly alert to conduct, including chanting, in this area and will be working with stewards to ensure crowds keep moving past this point,' he said. 'Where they become aware of behaviour that crosses the line from protest into criminality, they will intervene and take appropriate action.' Mr Adelekan said those expressing support for Palestine Action 'will likely be committing an offence and will very likely be arrested'. He added: 'I would urge those people to consider the seriousness of being arrested under the Terrorism Act and the very real long-term implications – from travel, to employment, to finances – that such an arrest is likely to have for their future.' He said the best way for protesters to stay within the law is to avoid 'threatening, abusive and insulting language' or any support for banned groups.
BBC News
17-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Rugby woman with MND takes drug fight to Parliament
An ice sculpture of a woman with a rare form of Motor Neurone Disease (MND) is being unveiled in Parliament Square later as campaigners call on the government to give her and others access to a "ground-breaking" new drug. Seckin McGuirk, from Rugby, is one of 2% of those living with the condition who has the SOD1 gene variation. The drug Tofersen has been shown to slow and in some cases halt the progress of MND for those with SOD1 and more than 21,000 people have signed a petition calling on the government to make the drug available to everyone with the gene Department for Health said the regulator was currently reviewing the treatment for "quality, safety, and efficacy". The MND Association said more than 30 patients were currently taking Tofersen through an Early Access Programme, offered free by its developer the charity said about 12 patients, including Ms McGirk, could not receive the drug because there was no local service able to administer it via the monthly lumbar puncture required. 'Everything a challenge' MND causes muscle weakness that can deteriorate quickly. The condition is usually life shortening and there is no cure. Ms McGuirk, 57, was diagnosed with MND in 2023 and said "everything is a challenge", from making a cup of tea to getting changed. The retired teacher added: "The minute I found out there's something that can help me, it gave me hope. "You hold on to that and fight as long as you can. I just hope that this campaign will reach its objective and I will have a little bit more time with some independence."I try to keep the negative thoughts away from my mind, stay hopeful, and carry on fighting."Richard Evans, Director of Engagement at the MND Association, said: "This drug, which is being given for free, can be the difference between life and death for people with SOD1 MND."It is self-evidently unfair that the NHS is giving it to some people who would benefit from it, and not to others. We are talking about a small amount of resource that could literally be the difference between life and death."In response, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said its thoughts were with all those living with the debilitating condition."The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is currently reviewing this treatment rapidly for quality, safety, and efficacy, for use in the United Kingdom."
