London is bracing for a tense and unprecedented weekend after the UK government took the dramatic step of banning the annual Al Quds Day march, a pro-Palestinian demonstration long associated with support for Iran’s regime. The move, announced late Wednesday by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and the Metropolitan Police, marks the first time since 2012 that authorities have used such powers—underscoring the extraordinary level of concern over public safety, rising geopolitical tensions, and the risk of serious disorder on the streets of Britain’s capital.
The Al Quds Day march, originally scheduled for Sunday, March 15, was organized by the Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC), a group that has drawn sharp criticism from politicians and community leaders for its vocal backing of Iran and its late supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. According to the London Police website, the Home Secretary approved the ban not only on the main protest but also on any related counter-protests, citing the potential for “tension and breaches of public order.”
“I expect that anyone who spreads hatred and discord, rather than exercising their right to peaceful protest, will face the full force of the law,” Mahmood warned, as reported by several outlets including The Times and ITV News. The decision, which took effect at 16:00 on March 11 and will last for one month, comes as British authorities grapple with a volatile international context: Iran recently fired two missiles toward Cyprus—where the UK maintains military bases—heightening anxieties about the regime’s intentions and the risk of spillover violence.
Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan, the Metropolitan Police’s public order lead, emphasized the gravity of the decision. “The threshold to ban a protest is high and we do not take this decision lightly; this is the first time we have used this power since 2012,” he said in a statement. He explained that while the Met routinely manages hundreds of protests, the unique risks of this event—including high numbers of both protestors and counter-protestors, as well as the “extreme tensions between different factions”—made it impossible to guarantee public safety through the usual conditions and restrictions.
“In our assessment this march raises unique risks and challenges,” Adelekan stated. “We must consider the likely impact on protests of the volatile situation in the Middle East, with the Iranian regime attacking British allies and military bases overseas. We must also consider that the security services have been publicly clear about the threats we are facing on UK soil from the Iranian regime.”
Indeed, the UK’s security services have, over the past year, foiled more than 20 Iranian state-backed attacks on British soil, according to the Metropolitan Police. Just last week, counter-terrorism officers arrested four individuals under the National Security Act for allegedly spying on Jewish communities for Iran. Separately, a man was reportedly stabbed in an incident linked to opposing views on the Iranian regime. The Metropolitan Police have also noted that previous Al Quds marches have resulted in arrests for supporting terrorist organizations and antisemitic hate crimes.
Despite the ban on moving processions, the law does not allow for a total prohibition of static assemblies. The IHRC quickly confirmed that a “static protest” would go ahead on Sunday, with the group publishing a defiant statement on its website. “The police have brazenly abandoned their sworn principle of policing without fear or favour. They cannot present evidence because there is none. In essence, this is a politically charged decision, not one taken for the security of the people of London,” the IHRC said, adding that it “strongly condemns” the ban and is seeking legal advice.
Faisal Bodi, a spokesman for the IHRC, told the BBC’s The World Tonight that the ban represented “a sad day for freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and the right of people to legitimately protest about issues they feel strongly about.” He insisted: “This demonstration has taken place for the last 40 years peacefully.”
But the Metropolitan Police, in a statement echoed by ITV News, maintained that the decision was “purely based on a risk assessment of this specific protest and counter-protests – we do not police taste or decency or prefer one political view over another, but we will do everything we can to reduce violence and disorder.” The force further explained that “placing conditions on the protest will not be sufficient to prevent it from resulting in serious public disorder – running the risk of injury to members of the public, protestors, police officers and damage to property.”
The political response has been swift and sharp. Labour and Conservative MPs alike had called for the march to be banned, with courts minister Sarah Sackman stating that people expressing support for “the malign regime in Iran” should not be “on the streets of London calling for hate and hostility against this country.” Shadow Home Office minister Alicia Kearns echoed those sentiments, saying there was “no place in our country for the celebration of terrorists.”
The Campaign Against Antisemitism, meanwhile, welcomed the ban as “a positive development,” arguing that “allowing this hate-fest to go ahead would have sent the message that Islamists rule the roost in Britain.” The group’s statement, reported by ITV News, reflects the deep anxieties among Jewish communities in London, who have faced increased threats and intimidation amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The IHRC’s connection to Iran—and especially to the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei—has been a lightning rod for criticism. Following Khamenei’s death in a US-Israeli airstrike on February 28, the organization described him as “a rare role model” who “chose to stand on the right side of history” and would be “mourned by freedom-loving people all over the world.” Such statements have only intensified scrutiny of the group’s motives and the nature of the Al Quds march itself.
Yet, amid the heated rhetoric and political maneuvering, the Metropolitan Police have been careful to stress their commitment to free speech and the right to protest. “The Met has safely policed hundreds of protests from across the political spectrum including 32 major pro-Palestinian protests and many more both pro and anti the Iranian regime,” Adelekan pointed out. “Where those protests present risks, they can normally be managed by the police placing conditions under our Public Order Act powers – this can include directing the timing, route and duration of a procession.”
But as tensions in the Middle East continue to reverberate across Europe—and with the specter of Iranian state-backed violence looming large—officials argue that extraordinary measures are justified. “Given the concerns around serious disorder, we will place strict conditions on any static assembly,” Adelekan explained, acknowledging that “we cannot guarantee they reduce the risk of disorder to zero. Given the tensions, we have to accept that confrontations could still take place.”
As Sunday approaches, Londoners are left to wonder what the weekend will bring. Police have pledged an increased presence and “robust action” against anyone defying the ban, warning that attempts to form or join a march—or incite others to do so—will be treated as criminal offenses. The city, already on edge from relentless global and domestic pressures, now faces a test of its resolve to balance public safety with the cherished rights of free assembly and expression.
With all eyes on the capital, the coming days will reveal whether these extraordinary steps can prevent violence—or simply mark another chapter in Britain’s ongoing struggle to manage the complex intersection of protest, politics, and international conflict.