Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has approved a Metropolitan Police request to ban the annual Al-Quds Day march in London, citing risks of serious public disorder. The march, scheduled for Sunday, is organised by the Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC), which Mahmood described as “closely associated with the Iranian regime”.
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp labelled the IHRC “a front organisation for the Iranian regime”, noting past chants at Al-Quds marches calling for intifada and revolution, and speeches that incited antisemitism. The ban, the first since 2012, takes effect Wednesday and lasts one month, though it could be extended.
IHRC chairman Massoud Shadjareh denied the allegations, stating: “To date nobody has presented any actual evidence of links to the Iranian government … Just lies, innuendo and insinuation.” The IHRC said the protest will proceed as a static demonstration, which cannot be banned under current law.
A new report by Lord Walney, former independent adviser on political violence, warned of a network of over 30 UK charities and institutions furthering Iranian regime interests. He described the response from authorities as “alarmingly weak”, with investigations lasting years and leaving “the underlying ideology intact”.
Lord Walney cautioned that even a static Al-Quds Day protest could cause disorder, and compared Iran’s infiltration of Britain to that of Russia. The IHRC rejected the report’s allegations, denying any Iranian alignment or state links.
