Sir Michael Fabricant calls pro-Palestine march on Armistice Day ...
Sir Michael Fabricant says pro-Palestine demonstrations in London on Armistice Day are 'absolutely crass' and 'very offensive' to a vast number of people in the United Kingdom.
Police have been guarding the Cenotaph in London as hundreds of thousands of people descended on the capital for a pro-Palestine march on Armistice Day - which was expected to be one of the largest political marches in British history.
An exclusion zone was put in place using metal barriers covering Whitehall, Horse Guards Parade, the Westminster Abbey Field of Remembrance and other relevant areas, to prevent those on the march from entering the locations.
Speaking to Forces News at the Armistice Day event at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, Sir Michael said: "I think it’s absolutely crass that its going ahead. I hope the police will be able to ensure there isn’t unpleasantness.
"That demonstration is very offensive to a vast number of people in the United Kingdom and also quite threatening to the small Jewish population in the UK.
"You do ask, what is this country coming to when the small minority try to overtake the traditions of the vast majority who want to commemorate with pride those who fought."
A dedicated 24-hour police presence around the Cenotaph will remain in place until the conclusion of Remembrance events on Sunday, even though the demonstration is not intended to go near the monument.
Scotland Yard will deploy nearly 2,000 officers across central London in a major policing operation over the weekend.
The number of officers on duty in London will be double the usual amount, with 1,850 officers on Saturday and 1,375 on Sunday.
The Met said the march and all speeches must end at 5pm, and a Section 60 and 60AA power will be in place covering Westminster and parts of Wandsworth and Lambeth between 10am on Saturday and 1am on Sunday.
This provides officers with additional powers to search anyone in the area for weapons, and requires people in the area to remove face coverings that are believed to be concealing their identity.
