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**Hugh** · 11-11-2023, 13:35

Bit of a misleading headline in the Times today…

Quote:

Pro-Palestinian march live: Clashes near Cenotaph before London rally

Worded to make it sound like the clashes were involving the Pro-Palestinian marchers, imho

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/p...-day-0kx7zrtl6

When in fact

Quote:

Some counter-protesters clashed with police near the Cenotaph amid chants of “England till I die”. There were fears of violence from groups with far-right links.

Quote:

Tension is high at the entrance to Westminster Bridge, where a group of counter-protesters have just walked up from the Winston Chruchill statue in Parliament Square, chanting and drinking (Hugo Daniel reports).

Police in riot helmets are blocking the entrance to Westminster Bridge, but the protesters are shouting, pushing and throwing cans of beer at them while police are hitting them with batons.

The crowd are singing “England ‘til I die” and “we want our country back” and a red flare has been set off. Meanwhile tourists and passersby are gathering on the pavement to film the clashes on their phones.

Some in the crowd are hiding their faces with scarfs or balaclavas and many are shouting abuse at a line of police.

Quote:

Just before 11am clashes broke out with police as a large crowd of people, some bearing St George’s and Union flags attempted to reach the Cenotaph,singing football chants including “England ‘til I die”.

Some bottles were thrown at police, with some of the crowd hit with batons.

Harry Briggs, 75, of the Royal Observer Corps, who has come to London for Remembrance weekend for the past 15 years, said it was the largest crowd he had seen at the Cenotaph on November 11.

He said: “I think the police did a very good thing. The crowd of protesters were coming round, the police did a tactical withdrawal and that annoyed them, that the police weren’t going to have a confrontation. Unfortunately some of them were standing on the memorials which we are here to remember. Once 11am was over they faded towards Trafalgar Square probably looking for more antagonism somewhere else.”

Quote:

A group of protesters were seen walking towards Hyde Park chanting “England till I die”, the Press Association reported.

There were also clashes with police in Chinatown, with protesters reportedly chanting: “You’re not English anymore” towards officers.