Pro-Palestine Protest in London Leads to Arrests and Injuries
On the evening of Tuesday, May 28, 2024, a pro-Palestine demonstration in London resulted in injuries to three police officers and the arrest of 40 individuals. Organised by a coalition including the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, the protest began at Whitehall around 6 PM, with an estimated turnout of 8,000 to 10,000 people.
Originally scheduled to end by 8 PM, several hundred protesters stayed beyond the deadline. The Metropolitan Police sought to disperse these remaining participants, primarily congregated at Bridge Street, outside Westminster Station.
By 10 PM, police began making arrests for violations that included breaches of the Public Order Act, highway obstruction, and assaults on emergency workers. Three officers were reported injured, with one sustaining a serious facial injury from a glass bottle thrown from the crowd. The suspect remains unidentified as investigations continue.
Strikes at UCLA in Support of Pro-Palestine Protests
On May 28, 2024, unionised academic workers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) initiated a strike to protest the university's handling of recent pro-Palestinian demonstrations. The strikers, including researchers, graduate teaching assistants, and post-doctoral scholars, demand amnesty for arrested or disciplined colleagues.
The strike, organised by the United Auto Workers (UAW) local 4811, represents 48,000 non-tenured academic staff across the UC system. Workers at UC Davis and UC Santa Cruz joined the action, with mediated talks initiated by the state public employee relations board.
The strike marks the first union-supported protest backing recent student-led demonstrations against Israel’s military actions in the Gaza Strip. Union leaders cite the arrest of 210 individuals during a Palestinian solidarity protest at UCLA on May 2 as a primary trigger. The university has since reassigned the campus police chief and is investigating the police response to the earlier confrontation.
Actions in Detroit
On May 28, 2024, Wayne State University in Detroit suspended in-person classes in response to a pro-Palestinian encampment on campus. U.S. Representative Rashida Tlaib, a Michigan Democrat of Palestinian descent, joined the protests.
Conclusion
Both the London protest and the academic strikes at UCLA are part of broader movements supporting Palestinian rights, reflecting ongoing tensions and responses to actions in the Gaza Strip.