The Metropolitan Police has been accused of misleading the public after claiming a pro-Palestinian march did not close down one of the country’s busiest high streets. Hundreds marched down Oxford Street, Regent Street and Carnaby Street, in London’s West End shopping district, bringing traffic to a standstill on Saturday (December 23).
Some chanted “while you’re shopping, bombs are dropping” in reference to Israel’s response to the October 7 attacks by the militant group Hamas.
During the protest, marchers stopped outside two Zara shops, both of which had closed and were guarded by security, urging people to boycott the brand. The Met dismissed suggestions the protest had “closed down” Oxford Street in a message shared on social media at 6.30pm on Saturday.
London’s police force said that wasn’t “really an accurate reflection” of the day’s events, adding: “While a large group of protestors walked down the road, traffic and pedestrians were still able to get around.
“Officers were with the group throughout and the level of disruption was monitored closely.”
The Met said while some shops closed their doors “for a short time” as the protesters passed, they re-opened and carried on trading.
It added: “The area has been packed with people and as you’d expect two days before Christmas. It’s still very busy with lots of shoppers and tourists who have largely been able to carry on as normal.”
The statement led to a backlash among some online, with one X user, tweeting from an account named Kosher Cockney, reply: “This is pure gaslighting ‘it didn’t happen’ – YES IT DID. We all saw it!”.
Turning Point UK, which describes itself on X as a Conservative activist and political organisation, shared footage of a street packed with protesters, commenting: “It’s like the police live in an alternative reality…”
Another X user accused the force of “whitewashing” the “aggressive threats” and chance of shops being “invaded”.
Peter Golds, a Conservative councillor for the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, said the statement was “untrue”, claiming the Met no longer controls the capital’s streets.
During the protest, some demonstrators were heard chanting: “Zara, Zara, you can’t hide, stop supporting genocide”.
It came after the clothing company pulled an ad amid complaints it contained pictures resembling images from the Israel-Hamas war.
The campaign, called The Jacket, included a series of images in which the model was pictured against a background of cracked stones, damaged statues and broken plasterboard.
Zara insisted the campaign presented “a series of images of unfinished sculptures in a sculptor’s studio and was created with the sole purpose of showcasing craft-made garments in an artistic context”. However, some viewers suggested they were similar to images emerging from Gaza.
The company said it regretted a “misunderstanding” about the pictures, after some customers “saw in them something far from what was intended when they were created”.
Protesters also chanted “shut it down” outside a Puma store on Carnaby Street. The sports giant was included on a list of brands to boycott which was written on leaflets handed out.
Calls to boycott Puma stem from the firm’s sponsorship of Israel’s national football team.
Saturday’s demonstration, organised by direct action group Sisters Uncut, began in Soho Square, where protesters chanted “free Palestine”.
Protesters waved Palestinian flags, played music and let off coloured smoke. Some shouted the controversial chant “From the river to the sea Palestine will be free”.
Leaflets distributed by the group said: “No Christmas as usual in a genocide. The UK is complicit. Don’t fund genocide in Palestine. Boycott Israel.”
The Metropolitan Police said no arrests were made.
