Two people were arrested on Saturday at a Pro-Palestine march in Lewisham, where 1,500 people gathered to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

The Metropolitan Police arrested a 20-year-old woman who was displaying an antisemitic placard and a 37-year-old man who obstructed the arrest, outside Lewisham DLR station.

The group marched from the Lewisham Islamic Centre to the High Street before assembling outside the Glass Mill Leisure Centre on Loampit Vale under very close police supervision. 

One of the organisers from the Socialist Worker Party, Samira, told Eastlondonlines: “Today was brilliant marching through the streets of Lewisham as we were joined by a lot of people from the mosque after prayers.

“However, there was a scuffle with the police with someone getting arrested. The confidence of the police after the Braverman letter and the rhetoric of the hateful Palestine march to pick out people and arrest them even though we are here in our numbers is shameful”.

Ben Woodward, from Stop the War Coalition, told ELL the protest: “was a great success and it’s been great to have the collaboration with local groups. Having their support has been absolutely incredible. 

“For the most part, the police were very helpful today, but when it came to the arrests of the two people, part of me thinks it was to send a message. But I don’t think anyone is deterred. The demonstration has bolstered people more”.

One other protestor who asked not to be named old ELL: “The march was good, but the police were aggressive”.

The protest was one of several that took place across the capital over the weekend and was a precursor to the National March for Palestine, due to take place this Saturday in Westminster.