London mayor Sadiq Khan distances himself from Nakba march dispute between police and Palestine groups
The delegation led by Labour MP John McDonnell which went to the Metropolitan Police HQ, New Scotland Yard on 15 April 2026 to deliver the letter calling for a reversal of the decision to block the annual Nakba march
Amer Sultan reports in The New Arab on 16 April 2026:
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has distanced himself from intervening in a dispute between pro-Palestine organisers and British police over plans for a Nakba Day march after police in London refused to accept a protest letter calling for a reversal of their decision to block the annual demonstration.
A spokesperson for Khan told The New Arab on Thursday, 16 April, that policing of protests is “an operational matter for the Metropolitan Police”.
The statement came ahead of a meeting expected between Khan and a delegation from the Palestine Coalition in Britain to discuss the dispute.
“The policing of protests is an operational decision for the Met. Decisions are made to balance democratic rights, freedoms and safety, and the mayor is clear that the Met must do this without fear or favour,” a spokesperson said.
Khan’s position is based on the view that London police “routinely use provisions of the Public Order Act to determine protest routes, assembly points, and start and end times”, emphasising that the mayor supports the right to protest, but “it must be lawful, peaceful and safe”.
The Metropolitan Police rejected an application by the Palestine Coalition to hold its annual march on 16 May in central London to mark the 78th anniversary of the Nakba, despite the request being submitted around six months in advance.