Pro-Palestinian groups in the UK have condemned the Metropolitan Police for preventing a planned rally outside the BBC headquarters on January 18. The protest, organized to highlight perceived bias in the BBC’s coverage of the ongoing Israeli offensive in Gaza, was canceled despite prior approval of the route.
Six national pro-Palestinian organizations, supported by over 150 high-profile figures and organizations, including Liberty, Amnesty International UK, and Greenpeace, accused the police of misusing public order powers to shield the BBC from public accountability.
Police Accused of Reneging on Agreements
Organizers criticized the Metropolitan Police for withdrawing their earlier approval of the rally route, which had been confirmed nearly two months in advance and publicly announced on November 30.
“The BBC is a publicly-funded institution and must remain accountable to the public,” the groups said in a joint statement on Friday. “The police should not misuse public order powers to shield the BBC from democratic scrutiny.”
The rally was intended to protest what organizers described as the BBC’s failure to adequately portray Palestinian suffering during Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. Protesters also sought to challenge allegations of the broadcaster’s pro-Israeli bias.
Broad Support for the Protest
The statement condemning the police’s actions was signed by a diverse coalition of parliamentarians, cultural figures, and activists, including Labour, Green, Plaid Cymru, Sinn Féin, and SNP lawmakers. Notable signatories included Jeremy Corbyn, Diane Abbott, musician Brian Eno, and actors Mark Rylance and Maxine Peake. Trade union leaders such as RMT’s Mick Lynch, NEU’s Daniel Kebede, and PCS General Secretary Fran Heathcote also backed the protest.
Media Bias and Misrepresentation Allegations
Pro-Palestinian voices in the UK have increasingly faced misrepresentation in media coverage, with a recent study highlighting significant distortions in how Western outlets report on the Gaza conflict. The study revealed that right-wing media channels have frequently linked pro-Palestinian activism to anti-Semitic sentiment in an effort to delegitimize legitimate advocacy efforts.
“The attempt to portray pro-Palestinian protesters as anti-Semitic is false and dangerous,” the statement added, rejecting such claims as a tactic to discredit advocacy for Palestinian rights.
Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza
The protest comes against the backdrop of an escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Since October 7, 2023, Israeli forces have cut off water, food, medicine, and electricity to the besieged territory while conducting relentless air, ground, and sea strikes. According to Gaza’s health ministry, over 46,000 Palestinians, including women and children, have been killed since the conflict began.
Organizers emphasized that the protests aim to hold the BBC and other Western media accountable for their role in shaping public opinion and failing to adequately report on the scale of Palestinian suffering.
