Security minister says pro-Palestine stage near Cenotaph was ‘disgraceful’

Security minister Tom Tugendhat said it was “disgraceful” that a stage was erected near to the Cenotaph at a pro-Palestine march.

Images and videos posted on social media show a stage standing close to the 103-year-old war memorial on Whitehall during demonstrations at the weekend expressing support for the Palestinian people in the Israeli-Hamas conflict.

The memorial in central London is dedicated to those who died in the two world wars and in every conflict afterwards. It is a focal point during Britain’s Remembrance Sunday service in November.

Mr Tugendhat, who was formerly an officer in the British Army reserves, told Sky News: “It is disgraceful. To many of us the Cenotaph is sacred ground.

“There is a reason it matters so much to our national consciousness.

“It is not just a memory of wars past, where many of our grandparents … fought in the First and Second World Wars.

“For many of us it is a very living memory to our friends we lost in Iraq and Afghanistan or indeed in other conflicts around the world.

“So frankly, the fact that there is a stage there is absolutely outrageous.

“I’m told the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign didn’t even ask Westminster Council for permission to put it up and I’ll be doing everything I can in making sure it is not allowed to happen again.”

Veterans minister Johnny Mercer tweeted on Wednesday that he recognised “the hurt” that the placement of the platform had “caused in the veteran community”.

The Conservative politician said he had spoken to Home Secretary Suella Braverman and the Metropolitan Police about the stage’s location.

The Met and Westminster City Council each suggested the other would have been responsible for approving where such a stage was positioned.

The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) said police “asked” for the demonstration to end where it did on Whitehall.

A spokesman for Westminster City Council said: “The council did not provide permission for a stage to be built next to the Cenotaph.

“Protests and marches are managed by the police.

“The council told protest organisers that the Metropolitan Police is the agency responsible for determining whether a structure is appropriate in a given location, and permissions lie with them.

“We do not support staging at the Cenotaph during future protests, however, that is a matter for the police.”

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “We recognise the huge significance and sensitivity about the Cenotaph and have seen the concerns raised about the positioning of stands as part of the protests on Saturday.

“We see hundreds of protests every year passing through or finishing at Whitehall and it is important to explain that police do not authorise, nor are responsible for, deciding or giving permission on where stands are positioned on public highways.

“Organisers need to apply to local authorities to be given permission for placing any item or structure on their roads. In this instance, that permission would be for consideration by Westminster City Council.

“Met traffic officers would only be involved if the presence of the item is likely to cause danger to other road users, overhanging the carriageway, incorrect signage or if noise/public order issues are occurring.

“We have fed the concerns raised into Westminster Council so that they can take this into consideration for any future protests or events.”

A PSC spokesman said: “Before every major demonstration, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and its organising partners liaise with the police to agree our logistical planning and ensure public safety.

“The same process we follow on every other demonstration was followed last Saturday, when over 100,000 people attended.

“PSC requested that our demonstration end at Downing Street, to send our message to the Government that we call for a ceasefire, an end to the siege of Gaza and full humanitarian aid be sent in immediately.

“The police asked us to end our demonstration further up Whitehall and that is why the stage was located where it was.”

There was also some criticism expressed on social media that Met Police officers had placed their helmets on the memorial while they were monitoring protests on Saturday.

Replying to a tweet on Sunday which included a photo of police riot gear laid on the stone steps of the Cenotaph, the Met said: “We apologise if it has caused any offence.

“Officers worked hard yesterday to protect people and buildings but we will feed this into future policing plans.”