Met Police warns students taking part in October 7 pro-Palestine march that they will be arrested if they wear face coverings, break away from route and fail to disperse at 2pm

DAILYMAIL.COM • 2h ago

By KATHERINE LAWTON, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER 13:57 06 Oct 2026, updated 14:35 06 Oct 2026

Police have warned students taking part in the October 7 pro-Palestine march that they will be arrested if they breach new conditions.

Demonstrators are set to march from King’s College London in the Strand and end at University College London in Russell Square, Holborn, tomorrow.

New rules imposed by the Metropolitan Police will require the group to gather in a specific area, Lincoln’s Inn Fields, by 12.30pm and take a prescribed route to Russell Square. The rally must finish by 2pm, when protesters must disperse.

Anyone taking part must not wear a face covering that hides their identity, with police warning anyone who breaches the conditions will face arrest.

It follows calls for police to go further and seek a ban on the protest, after officers vowed to take a ‘robust’ stance on ‘a day of mourning and a day of reflection’.

The demonstration has been advertised on social media by student activists, who say they intend to ‘take to the street’ to ‘demand an end to the Palestinian genocide’.

It will come on the third anniversary of the atrocity in which Hamas militants murdered more than 1,200 civilians and took 251 hostages.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner James Harman, who leads Met Operations including public order policing, said: ‘This event is being held on the third anniversary of the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel and the start of the ensuing conflict in Gaza.

‘This will be a day of mourning and reflection for many in London and we know the serious concerns that this event has caused Jewish communities in particular.

‘We have imposed stringent conditions on those taking part in this march. These will help us manage the event and minimise serious disruption.

‘Anyone who breaches these conditions or commits offences should be under no illusion they will face arrest. We have zero tolerance for hate crime and those who chant or display placards calling for intifada or encourage unlawful extremism will be arrested.’

Mr Harman previously asked the estimated 300 students planning to march to ‘reflect on the impact and distress it will cause on this very significant day, and exercise your right to protest on a different date’.

The plans were also condemned by Jewish organisations and senior politicians.

Mr Harman said the march, along with another pro-Palestinian protest planned for Saturday, October 10, and possible disorder ahead of the Holborn and St Pancras by-election next week, has the potential ‘to fuel further tensions’ in London.

The Met said they are ‘making every effort’ through universities and others to identify organisers of the shadowy University of London Coalition responsible for advertising the event.

Mr Harman added today: ‘We hear the calls for this event to be banned. The police cannot ban protests and can only ask the Home Secretary to do so if the risk of serious disorder is so high that it can’t be managed by conditions. That high bar is not met here.

‘Comments on social media that we banned other protests, such as a UKIP march in Tower Hamlets, are incorrect.

‘We have been asked whether the student march is illegal, as under Section 11 of the Public Order Act organisers must provide a name and address to police.

‘While we can identify the groups involved in organising the protest from their social media posts, we have not yet identified any specific individual prepared to accept that they are the organiser of this demonstration.

‘Under the law, the failure of an organiser to identify themselves does not mean that the specific legal criteria for a ban of a procession is met.

‘Once we have identified the organisers, we can consider offences under Section 11.

‘I would like to take this opportunity – again – to call on anyone intending to join this march to please reflect on the impact and distress it will cause on this very significant date, and exercise your right to protest on a different day.’

Education Secretary Lucy Powell previously said: ‘We certainly shouldn’t be doing anything other than marking those attacks on October 7 with deep mourning for those who lost their lives and those who were victims of that terrible Hamas attack.’

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