A pro-Iran regime rally that had been scheduled to take place in central London this Sunday has been cancelled after the Metropolitan Police asked the government to intervene and stop the event.
Jewish News reported on Tuesday that Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley approached Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and urged that the annual Al-Quds Day march should not be permitted to proceed. Following discussions, the Home Office and City Hall confirmed the event will not take place.
The march had been planned for central London this weekend, just weeks after the Iranian regime’s massacre of its own citizens during anti-regime protests.
Al-Quds Day was established in 1979 by Iran’s revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini as a global day of demonstrations against Israel and in support of the Palestinian Arab cause. Since the early 1980s, rallies marking the day have been held in several cities around the world, including London.
Al-Quds Day has long been associated with anti-Israel rhetoric and calls for the destruction of the Jewish state. The events often feature speakers who glorify terrorist organizations that have carried out attacks against Israel.
Jewish News noted that the London event has long been controversial because of its association with the Iranian regime and the presence in previous years of imagery and symbols linked to terror groups aligned with Tehran.
Prior to the proscription of both Hezbollah and Hamas in the United Kingdom, flags and banners linked to those organizations were frequently displayed at the march.
The event has typically been organized by the Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC), which was described in the government-commissioned Shawcross Review of Prevent in 2023 as “an Islamist group ideologically aligned with the Iranian regime".
In recent years, demonstrators at the rally have carried placards praising Iran’s leadership and calling for the destruction of Israel. Jewish organizations and community leaders have repeatedly criticized the event and questioned why it has been permitted to take place in the British capital.
This year’s planned march drew increased concern amid the ongoing conflict involving Iran and growing scrutiny of Tehran’s activities abroad.
Police and government officials have not publicly detailed the discussions that led to the decision to cancel the rally. However, the intervention by the Metropolitan Police Commissioner reflected concerns about public order surrounding the event.