We are concerned that the Metropolitan Police are threatening to place restriction orders on next Saturday’s Palestine protest, delaying the start time by one and a half hours to 2.30pm and refusing us Pall Mall as an assembly point.

No explanation has been given for these moves, made at 4pm on Friday after the police themselves cancelled a meeting to discuss the demo on Thursday morning.

The normal assembly time of 12pm and the asssembly point has been public for days.

Changing the start time of the demonstration, which is marching to the Israeli Embassy, from the normal 1pm to 2.30pm is completely unpractical and will cause major problems, especially for people coming from outside London.

The organisers first informed the police of their plans on 8 August, more than three weeks ago. We worry that these kind of delays and late challenges and conditions to the plans of what are entirely peaceful demonstrations are forming a pattern. We urge the Metropolitan police to avoid causing disruption and accept that the march should go ahead at the normal, planned time and from Pall Mall as announced.

Friends of Al-Aqsa

Palestinian Forum in Britain

Palestine Solidarity Campaign

Stop the War Coalition

Muslim Association of Britain

Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament