Palestine protestors swarm MoD and attempt to mob Royal Navy officers | UK | News
A Palestinian flag-waving crowd attacked the Ministry of Defense building in London on Friday afternoon, allegedly in an attempt to round up Royal Navy officers. The sudden protest forced security to open the MoD’s protective blast doors from the protesters.
The footage recorded the chaotic moment when the crowd tried to gather the naval personnel, prompting a quick response from the few police officers at the scene. Officers formed a protective line, pushing back protesters and allowing military personnel to safely enter the Department of Defense without interference.
Responding, Major (ret) Andrew Fox, Senior Member of the Henry Jackson Society, said: “This crosses a serious line. Rounding up and surrounding senior service personnel in the performance of their duties is not a legitimate protest; it is an act of intimidation of those who serve the country. “Our armed forces must be able to carry out their work without fear of harassment or being targeted in this way.
“There is also a clear security risk. Filming and distributing images of military personnel is not harmless; it can reveal identities, routines and potentially put both themselves and their families at risk.
“People have the right to protest, but complaints about government policy should be directed through democratic channels and to elected decision-makers, not to service personnel who do not determine that policy.
Accordingly Great Britain News Home and Security editor Mark White said the situation highlighted the limited police presence at the scene, and officers were forced to close the gap while trying to maintain control.
The demonstration had previously started on The Strand, then moved towards the embankment and Whitehall, where protesters blocked traffic with minimal intervention.
Mr White described how police had to quickly reposition themselves in front of the building to prevent the crowd from reaching the naval officers, in what appeared to be an under-resourced police effort given the scale of the march.
Commentators expressed outrage over the incident, especially given that British armed forces personnel were actively deployed to support operations in the Middle East.
Martin Daubney condemned the scenes as “outrageous”, highlighting the disrespect shown to serving soldiers during the ongoing armed conflict.
Shortly after the initial attack, the Ministry of Defence’s protective blast doors were opened as a security precaution, underlining the seriousness of the attempted breach of one of the UK’s key defense institutions.
Express.co.uk has approached the Ministry of Defense for comment.
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