Pro-Israel and pro-Palestine protesters face off in London as Government ... trends now
Groups of pro-Israel and pro-Palestine protesters have faced off in London - just hours after the Government said 'being Jewish is not a provocation'.
Earlier today, two rival protests took place alongside each other in Tottenham Court Road, central London.
Photos show dozens of protesters waving flags and holding placards. They were standing in fenced off areas opposite each other with police officers stationed in-between.
Pro-Israel demonstrators carried placards calling for the immediate release of all hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
One read: 'Shut up and free the hostages' while another said: 'Hamas are terrorists.'
Pro-Israel demonstrators carried placards calling for the immediate release of all hostages hel by Hamas (pictured above)
The two rival protests took place alongside each other in Tottenham Court Road, central London
Both groups of demonstrators were separated by police officers (pictured)
Meanwhile, demonstrators in the pro-Palestinian rally carried placards and flags which read: 'Free Palestine' and 'Boycott Israel.'
It follows a row over the policing of a pro-Palestine march by the Metropolitan Police last week.
The Met Police apologised on Friday after an officer used the term 'openly Jewish' to describe an antisemitism campaigner who was threatened with arrest near the march on April 13.
A video clip showed an officer telling Campaign Against Antisemitism chief executive Gideon Falter: 'You are quite openly Jewish, this is a pro-Palestinian march.
'I'm not accusing you of anything but I'm worried about the reaction to your presence.'
The officer said that Mr Falter's presence was 'antagonising'.
Dozens of protesters from both sides waving flags and standing in opposite fenced off areas
The policing of the rally (pictured) follows a row over the policing of a pro-Palestine march by the Metropolitan Police last week
Demonstrators in the pro-Palestinian rally carried placards and flags which read: 'Free Palestine' and 'Boycott Israel'
In another clip released by the CAA on Friday, Falter was told by the same officer he could not cross the road while the march was ongoing, with his faith being 'part of the factor'.
Mr Falter said he had been walking in the capital after attending synagogue and was not there to counter-protest.
In the clip, another officer said to him: 'There's a unit of people here now.
'You will be escorted out of this area so you can go about your business, go where you want freely, or if you choose to remain here because you are causing a breach of peace with all these other people, you will be arrested.'
Mr Falter said afterwards: 'Despite being told repeatedly
