LONDON: A video circulating online appears to show London’s Metropolitan Police involved in a violent arrest of a pro-Palestine campaigner, sparking widespread outrage on social media.
The incident, filmed in Tower Hamlets, shows officers forcibly detaining a man standing beside a car adorned with a Palestinian flag and a sign demanding “Free Palestine. Stop Gaza genocide.”
In the footage, the man protests his arrest while being dragged to the ground by a group of officers, who strike him in the head as he repeatedly asserts his innocence, saying, “I haven’t done nothing.”
Reacting to the video, Halima Khan, a former Labour Party staffer and recent parliamentary candidate, condemned the police’s use of force in East London, questioning the appropriateness of such tactics in the UK. Her remarks on social media garnered support, with others criticizing the police’s actions during the incident.
The officer involved, seen delivering multiple punches to the activist’s head, faced accusations from online commentators of excessive force and premeditated aggression. In response, the Metropolitan Police issued a statement online, clarifying that the arrest was made following an assault on police, denying it was related to the display of the Palestinian flag.
Superintendent Brittany Clarke assured the public that the Directorate of Professional Standards is reviewing the incident, including footage from body-worn cameras, to ascertain the circumstances.
She emphasized the Met Police’s commitment to addressing community concerns amid ongoing controversies surrounding their handling of pro-Palestine demonstrations in London.
The incident marks the latest in a series of controversies involving the Metropolitan Police, accused of heavy-handed tactics in managing weekly pro-Palestine rallies in the city since October.
