UK Bans Iran-Linked Al-Quds March in London

British authorities have banned the annual Al-Quds march scheduled to take place in central London on March 15, after the Metropolitan Police requested the measure and UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood approved it. Officials said the decision followed warnings of “extreme tensions,” the risk of violent clashes with counterprotesters, and wider security concerns linked to the volatile situation in the Middle East.

Police said the order reflects fears of serious public disorder during the current regional conflict. Authorities stressed that banning a demonstration is an extraordinary step and that the threshold for doing so is normally very high.

“The threshold to ban a protest is high,” the Metropolitan Police said in a statement announcing the decision, noting that the power had not been used in London for 14 years.

Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan, the Met’s public order lead, said the security environment had significantly influenced the decision. “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 ban applies not only to the planned march but also to counterprotests expected to take place on the same day. Mahmood said she approved the request after reviewing the police assessment and concluding the measure was necessary to prevent serious public disorder.

Under British law, however, authorities cannot fully prohibit every form of demonstration. Officials said a stationary protest could still take place under strict conditions if organizers choose to proceed, with police able to impose limits on location, timing, and conduct.

The Al-Quds march is organized in London by the Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC). Al-Quds Day events were established by Iran’s Islamic regime in 1979 to promote opposition to Israel. Organizers say the annual demonstrations are intended to support what they describe as Palestinian liberation.

The event has long been controversial in Britain. Police have previously made arrests at Al-Quds marches in London for supporting terrorist organizations and for antisemitic hate crimes.

The Community Security Trust (CST), a British organization that coordinates security for Jewish institutions, welcomed the ban. “CST strongly welcomes the actions taken by the police and the Home Secretary in banning the annual Al-Quds Day march in London, which comes after Iranian arrests for allegedly targeting Jews,” the group said in a statement. “It shows the unprecedented volatility of the current situation and how extreme such marches have always been, up to and beyond what the law has allowed at any given time.”

CST added that while the march itself had been prohibited, pro-Iranian demonstrations could still occur in other forms. “We note that static Quds Day events may yet go ahead, as do many other pro-Iranian regime actions.”

Organizers of the march criticized the move, arguing it was politically motivated. “In essence, this is a politically charged decision, not one taken for the security of the people of London,” the Islamic Human Rights Commission said.

Even with the ban in place, authorities warned they are preparing for a challenging weekend as tensions remain high and demonstrations connected to the issue could still occur under restricted conditions.