Around 50 pro-Palestine supporters gather in Manchester ahead of protest
Around 50 pro-Palestine supporters have gathered in Manchester City centre ahead of a rally on Saturday.
A handful of counter protesters were also present along with a number of police keeping watch.
Many of the pro-Palestinian group stood sheltering under umbrellas to shield from the relentless rain falling on Saturday afternoon.
People take part in a demonstration organised by GM Friends of Palestine at Manchester Cathedral on Saturday (Ryan Jenkinson/PA Wire)
Tara Cobham4 October 2025 12:18
Protesters drape Palestine Action banners over Westminster Bridge
A small number of protesters have draped banners over Westminster Bridge in support of banned group Palestine Action.
The campaigners from Defend Our Juries initially struggled to get the banners out in the wind, but managed to hold two banners over the north side of the bridge which read “I oppose genocide” and “I support Palestine Action”.
The group said it expects 1,500 to attend a protest in Trafalgar Square at 1pm.
Protesters unfurl a banner on Westminster Bridge as part of a demonstration organised by Defend our Juries in support of Palestine Action in Trafalgar Square, London, on Saturday (Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire)
Tara Cobham4 October 2025 12:14
Pro-Palestine protest in Manchester due to begin
The pro-Palestine protest in Manchester is due to begin.
The Greater Manchester Friends of Palestine have called the protest for midday at Manchester Cathedral.
Tara Cobham4 October 2025 12:05
Police step up patrols at Manchester synagogues after terror attack
Police have stepped up patrols at synagogues across the Manchester area following the terrorist attack which killed two people.
A Greater Manchester Police spokesman said: “We’re continuing to respond effectively to emergencies in the region while ensuring that every available officer in Greater Manchester is currently deployed to provide reassurance, particularly amongst our Jewish communities, at what is a time of profound distress and sorrow.
“We have been patrolling places of worship across the city-region, with a particular focus on providing a high-visibility presence within our Jewish communities in north Manchester, Bury and Salford.”
The police investigation continues at the scene near Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Crumpsall (PA Wire)
Tara Cobham4 October 2025 11:44
Pro-Palestine protest in Manchester to get underway soon following attack in city
The pro-Palestine protest in Manchester is set to get underway at midday.
The Greater Manchester Friends of Palestine have called the protest at Manchester Cathedral to mark “two years of genocide” in Gaza, coming ahead of the anniversary of Hamas’ attacks on southern Israel on 7 October 2023.
It comes two days after the attack on a synagogue in Manchester and amid police pleas not to protest.
Tara Cobham4 October 2025 11:20
Police still questioning six as investigation continues into synagogue attack
Police are continuing to question six people arrested as part of investigations into the background of Manchester synagogue terrorist Jihad Al-Shamie, who it emerged was on bail for an alleged rape at the time of the fatal attack.
On Friday night, police raided a house in Central Avenue, Bolton, while six people have been detained on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts as part of the investigation, with counter-terrorism police saying they will seek warrants to give them extra time to continue questioning them.
Police are continuing to question six people arrested as part of investigations into the background of Manchester synagogue terrorist Jihad Al-Shamie (PA)
Tara Cobham4 October 2025 11:00
Jewish charity leader accuses politicians of allowing antisemitism to flourish in UK
Politicians and wider society have allowed antisemitism and incitement to flourish in the UK, a leader of the Community Security Trust has said.
Dave Rich, director of policy at the charity which provides security to the Jewish community, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “The levels of anti-Jewish hatred and extremism and incitement have been allowed to grow over the last few years.
“I think that’s where the outrage should be directed.
“I think there are a lot of people who could step up and do better. I think you look across Government and police is where people first look. But I think you could look at regulators as well. I think you could look at some of the sermons in mosques after October 7, which were really off the charts with the incitement.
“I think you could look at what goes on on social media every single day. If people knew how much, how many people went online every single day to talk about killing Jews, they’d be absolutely horrified. And social media platforms do less now than they even did in the past to deal with that.
“And I think more broadly, across civil society and across parts of industry, there is an inability to recognise antisemitism or a reluctance to deal with incitement in ways that have just allowed it to grow.
“And I think the anger is directed there and I think a lot of Jewish people will be saying okay, the sympathy is great, but where’s the action?”
Tara Cobham4 October 2025 10:40
Calls to widen police power to ban pro-Palestine protests after synagogue attack
Police powers should be strengthened to ban “disgraceful” Pro-Palestine protests set to go ahead in the wake of the Manchester synagogue attack, the shadow home secretary has said.
Organisers of demonstrations in Manchester and London are defying calls by Sir Keir Starmer and police bosses to reconsider following the killing of two people in the terror attack.
But Tory Cabinet minister Chris Philp said he would “go further than saying simply they should step back”.
Campaigners from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign previously taking part in a protest outside Downing Street, London (PA Wire)
Tara Cobham4 October 2025 10:20
Allowing antisemitism any ‘space at all’ can lead to attacks like synagogue killing, Philp says
Allowing antisemitism any “space at all” can lead to attacks such as the Manchester synagogue killing, Chris Philp has said as he argued for stronger powers to prevent pro-Palestine marches.
The shadow home secretary told BBC Breakfast: “I think the way these protests have been organised, which are static, means that the police under the Public Order Act 1986 don’t have the power in law to prevent them.
“So I do think we should follow the advice of John Woodcock, Lord Walney, who is reviewing the law in this area, to say that it should be widened to allow static demonstrations to be banned if it would cause serious public disruption.”
He backed crossbench peer Lord Walney’s advice that if there is “a significant cumulative impact on a particular community, in this case, the Jewish community, that should be taken into account as well”.
Mr Philp added: “If you allow anti-Jewish sentiment, antisemitism any sort of space at all, then you find sometimes it leads to tragedies like the one on Thursday.”
Tara Cobham4 October 2025 10:00
‘Phenomenally tone deaf’ for protests to go ahead, Jewish charity leader says
It is “phenomenally tone deaf” for pro-Palestine protests to go ahead in the wake of the Manchester synagogue attack, a leader of the Community Security Trust said.
Dave Rich, director of policy at the charity which provides security to the Jewish community, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I think it’s phenomenally tone deaf, to say the least, for so many people who claim to care about human rights and care about freedoms, to be taking police resources away from protecting the rights and freedoms of Jewish people to live their lives and go to synagogue in safety, all to support a proscribed terrorist organisation, which is not the same thing as supporting the Palestinians. The two are not the same.
“And I think it’s remarkably self absorbed and insensitive to say the least.”
A woman wears the flag of Israel wrapped over her back as she attends a vigil for the victims of the attack in Crumpsall on Friday (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
Tara Cobham4 October 2025 09:40
