Five people have been arrested at King’s Cross station in London after a pro-Palestinian sit-in was banned by police under public order powers. The demonstration, which took place on Friday evening, was prohibited following an order granted by Transport Secretary Mark Harper under section 14a of the Public Order Act 1986.
British Transport Police said officers informed protesters of the notice and advised them to leave. Most complied without incident by 7.15pm, but five individuals were arrested for failing to comply. Videos on social media showed a man draped in a Palestinian flag being carried away by officers, while chants of “ceasefire now” and “free, free Palestine” were heard.
Mr Harper stated that while peaceful protest is a key part of democratic society, it cannot be at the expense of others’ rights not to be seriously disrupted or intimidated. He granted consent for the order to keep stations safe and prevent disorder, meaning protest activity at the station was classified as unlawful.
Separately, the Metropolitan Police imposed a condition under section 14 of the Public Order Act to prevent demonstrators gathering outside the Israeli embassy in Kensington over the weekend. The protests are part of ongoing pro-Palestinian demonstrations in London.
