Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's government has put pressure on the Metropolitan Police to ban a pro-Palestinian rally scheduled to take place in London on Armistice Day. Sunak met with Scotland Yard chief Mark Rowley to secure assurances that the march would not disrupt Armistice Day memorial services and that the public would be safe from disorder. While the police have confirmed that the march will be away from the Cenotaph (war memorial) and will not conflict with any Remembrance events, Sunak warned of the risk of those who seek to divide society using this platform. He expressed his belief that a march on Armistice Day would be provocative and disrespectful. Despite his pleas, the organisers have resisted calls to postpone the demonstration.

Rowley has defended the decision to allow the rally to go ahead, stating that it does not meet the threshold for requesting a government order to stop it. He has emphasized the importance of allowing events of significance to take place without disruption. Sunak, however, claims that allowing the protest would offend the memory of those who fought for freedom and peace. The rally, organised by the Stop the War Coalition, aims to demand a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict, which has been ongoing for a month.

London has witnessed large demonstrations over the past four weekends in response to the attacks in southern Israel, which the Israeli government says resulted in the deaths of 1,400 people, mostly civilians. Israel has continued to bombard the Palestinian territory and send in ground troops, resulting in over 10,550 deaths, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. While Sunak's government denies trying to pressure the Met chief to cancel the march, concerns have been raised about potential violence and disorder linked to breakaway groups.

Police have made dozens of arrests at the London protests, including for hate crimes. Sunak's interior minister Suella Braverman has labeled the protests as hate marches. As November 11 commemorates the end of fighting in World War I and the sacrifice of armed forces in all conflicts since 1914, there are fears that the Saturday protest could disrupt Sunday's solemn ceremonies and two minutes' silence held at war memorials across the country. Organisers have promised to avoid the Whitehall area of central London where the Cenotaph is located, which is the focal point of Remembrance Sunday.

Sunak's government has called on the police to keep the protest under review, suggesting that the legal threshold for banning it may not have been met. However, Rowley maintains that a ban is incredibly rare and is only a last resort in the face of a serious threat of disorder. Despite the government's pressure, the rally is still scheduled to take place on Saturday, with tens of thousands of people expected to participate.