Smoke bombs and scuffles behind Israeli Embassy

Edd - Last Hours | 11.01.2009 13:25 | Anti-militarism | Palestine | Social Struggles

Yesterday on the Palestinian solidarity demonstration the crowd stopped outside the entrance to Kensington Palace Gardens on Bayswater Road at about 3pm. It seemed to be an attempt to get to the Israeli Embassy from behind - and where there was a very thin police presence. Below is a photo report of what happened. More information relating to the protest, it's repercussions and other photos will be put on the Last Hours website (

http://www.lasthours.org.uk) during the coming week.

The demo leaving Hyde Park - it's the biggest demo I've seen since 2003

Smoke bombs and a fire are set off at the head of Kensington Palace Gardens

The crowd tell the police that they want to get to the Israeli embassy

The police draw their batons

Just before red paint is thrown at them

The riot police arrive

And charge at the crowd

The crowd hold their ground, and continuing shouting

There's more pushing and shoving

As a small group stage a sit-down

A couple of minutes later the police attack the sit down

The crowd express their feelings about the riot police

Stop the War Coalition stewards arrive and try and do the police's job

The crowd tells the STWC steward what they think

Still, the crowd begins to move off

But not before leaving some messages for Palistein (sic) and the FIT team

The riot police hold the ground as people leave

Ten minutes later a Starbucks' has it's window put in

Before everyone arrives on High Street Kensington, and the Israeli embassy

About an hour into the march we all heard an explosion. In the distance a plume of smoke rose, and to my right a line of police started running towards it. I followed with my camera. When I arrived there a fire had been started, and smoke bombs launched. Apparently people had made an attempt to go down Kensington Palace Gardens to the back of the Israeli embassy. When I arrived there was a stand-off between police and the people on the march. Sticks, bottles, shoes and (oddly) a mobile phone were thrown at the police. The tense stand-off lasted for around half an hour before people started moving off after more and more riot police arrived on the scene.

There's reports of what happened later at the front of the embassy both here:

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/01/417810.html
and here:

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/01/417820.html

More photos and audio that was taken for Last Hours will be on the Last Hours site (

http://www.lasthours.org.uk) in the coming week.

Edd - Last Hours
Homepage: http://www.lasthours.org.uk