Over 1,000 pro-Palestinian protesters rally across UK days after synagogue attack, hundreds arrested

Pro-Palestinian rallies were held across the UK on Saturday, two days after the deadly attack on a Manchester synagogue, despite Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s appeal for restraint.

Two people were killed and three others seriously injured when 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie, a UK citizen of Syrian descent, launched a car-ramming and knife attack on the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in north Manchester during Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.

Police shot Al-Shamie dead within minutes of being alerted. Four people — two men and two women — remain in custody on suspicion of terrorism-linked offences after Thursday’s assault, while an 18-year-old woman and a 43-year-old man were released without charge.

The attack, one of Europe’s worst antisemitic incidents since the October 7, 2023, Hamas assault on Israel, has heightened fear within Britain’s Jewish community. Police have since increased patrols at places of worship, focusing on visible protection for Jewish neighbourhoods.

Hundreds arrested at London rally

Around 1,000 people gathered in Trafalgar Square to show support for the banned Palestine Action group, according to organisers Defend Our Juries, while a smaller rally in Manchester drew about 100 participants. A spokesperson said the group “stood in solidarity” with the Jewish community, insisting that “cancelling peaceful protests lets terror win.”

Ahead of the demonstrations, Starmer urged the public to respect the grief of British Jews, calling it “a moment of mourning, not a time to stoke tension and cause further pain.” Police later confirmed that 488 people were arrested at the London protest for supporting a proscribed organisation, with the oldest detainee aged 89. Four others were arrested for unrelated offences, while 297 remained in custody and the rest were bailed. Supporting the banned group has been a criminal offence under the Terrorism Act 2000 since July.

Meanwhile, the UK police watchdog said it would investigate the shooting of attacker Jihad Al-Shamie, as well as the deaths and injuries caused by police gunfire during the incident. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) confirmed there was no evidence of any firearms used other than by officers, suggesting two victims were accidentally shot as police confronted the assailant.