UK police ban pro-Iranian Al Quds march in London — first protest ban in 14 years

British police announced they have banned the pro-Iranian Al Quds march due to take place in London on Sunday, citing the possibility of 'extreme tensions' with counter-protesters and the risk posed by Tehran during the war in the Middle East. The threshold to ban a protest is extremely high in Britain — police said this was the first time the power had been invoked in 14 years. The ban also applies to any counter-protest marches. 'We have taken into consideration the likely impact on protests of the volatile situation in the Middle East, with the Iranian regime attacking British allies and military bases overseas,' the police statement said. 'We must also consider that the security services have been publicly clear about the threats we are facing on UK soil from the Iranian regime.' Police noted that previous Al Quds marches had resulted in arrests for supporting terrorist organizations and antisemitic hate crimes. Last week, British police arrested four men on suspicion of helping Iran's intelligence services carry out surveillance of people and locations linked to the Jewish community in London. The ban reflects the direct securitization of domestic politics in Britain as a result of the conflict — Iran's attacks on British allies, the Akrotiri base drone strike (Day 1), and active IRGC intelligence operations on British soil have pushed London to take unprecedented domestic steps.