Pro-Palestine groups plan to 'swarm' UK with coordinated protests on Armistice Day

Youth Demand, which is an offshoot of Just Stop Oil, has planned to hold anti-Israel demonstrations in five British cities.

By MATHILDA HELLER NOVEMBER 10, 2024 01:35

People demonstrate in Vauxhall during a protest in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in London, Britain, November 11, 2023 (photo credit: REUTERS/HOLLIE ADAMS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

Pro-Palestine demonstrators in the UK have planned to "swarm" the country with "highly coordinated" nationwide rallies to coincide with Armistice Day on Sunday, 10 November, a national event that commemorates war veterans. This was first reported by The Express.

Youth Demand, which is an offshoot of activist group Just Stop Oil, has planned to hold anti-Israel demonstrations in five British cities in an attempt to disrupt Remembrance Sunday (or 'Poppy Day') events.

While the cities were not specifically stated, reports suggested that Birmingham and Manchester were two of the five.

The Express reported that details of the planned rallies were revealed by organizers from Youth Demand at a meeting in London this week, attended by 50 activists. 

Youth Demand activist Arthur Clifton reportedly told the crowd, "This is the start of our strategy coming into place on November 11."

‘IN FLANDERS fields the poppies blow’: British remembrance poppies. (credit: Wikimedia Commons)

"With five cities across the country, Youth Demand will be getting out onto the roads, swarming, causing disruption [and] getting off before arrests are made, hopefully."

The Express obtained footage of the meeting, in which Clifton added that the demonstrations would involve "highly coordinated, highly organized disruption on a nationwide level."

On Saturday evening, Just Stop Oil posted on Instagram that, following The Express's article, one of its members, Sam Griffiths, who spoke at the event, was arrested in his home. 

The 49-year-old previously served time in Wandsworth Prison in 2023 for participating in a demonstration.

In a post to their Telegram on 5 November, Youth Demand wrote "In just over a week, our nationally co-ordinated actions will be popping off all over the country. We know we have to shut it down for Palestine."

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Last year, at a similar protest in London on Remembrance Sunday, more than 300,000 people joined the pro-Palestinian rally, which turned violent and resulted in around 140 arrests.

Veterans respond with anger

Tony Hayes, chairman of the Veterans Association, said the news of planned disruptions "gets [him] extremely angry" in a conversation with Talk Radio.

"At the end of the day, these are the soldiers who fought for this country over generations, and we are paying homage to that."

He called the planned protests an "absolute disgusting mess."

Speaking to GB News, senior military intelligence officer veteran Philip Ingram said: "They're trying to hijack what is a national memorial event that is commemorating Muslim soldiers, Hindu soldiers, Christian soldiers, or soldiers of no faith whatsoever who have laid their lives down so that people can protest."

The Royal British Legion told The Express, "Remembrance is a time for the nation to come together to remember those who have served in the British Armed Forces protecting the democratic freedoms we all benefit from today.

"Whilst we respect the right of people to protest within the law, we hope Remembrance events can go ahead without disruption.”

The Metropolitan Police added that any attempts to disrupt Armistice Day events would be "entirely unacceptable."