Corbyn and McDonnell face police interview after pro-Palestinian rally
Jeremy Corbyn (second from right) and John McDonnell (far left) at the rally in central London on Saturday
- Published
MPs Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell have agreed to be interviewed under caution by police following a pro-Palestinian rally in central London on Saturday, the BBC understands.
The former Labour leader, 75, and former shadow chancellor, 73, will voluntarily attend a police station in the capital as the Metropolitan Police investigates what it says was a coordinated effort by organisers to breach conditions imposed on the event.
They will be interviewed on Sunday afternoon.
Nine other people have been charged with public order offences following arrests at the protest organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC).
The Met said 24 people had also been bailed and 48 remain in custody.
In a statement, the force said the nine people charged - who include Chris Nineham, a chief steward on the march, and Corbyn's brother Piers Corbyn - are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court in the coming days.
It added that three men, who the force did not name, have agreed to attend voluntarily at a central London police station to be interviewed under criminal caution.
A "75-year-old, 73-year-old and 61-year-old will be interviewed by officers this afternoon", the Met said.
The protest came as Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire and hostage release deal.
A static rally involving several thousand people took place in Whitehall after police blocked plans to hold a march from Portland Place, near the headquarters of the BBC.
Police said a group of protesters attempted to march from the rally and were stopped a short distance away after breaking through a police line to gather at Trafalgar Square.
In a post on X, external on Saturday, the Met posted a photo of what it described as a group "that forced its way through the police line" being held at the north-west corner of Trafalgar Square.
In response, Corbyn said in a separate separate post, external: "This is not an accurate description of events at all".
"I was part of a delegation of speakers, who wished to peacefully carry and lay flowers in memory of children in Gaza who had been killed."
"This was facilitated by the police. We did not force our way through."
McDonnell echoed Corbyn's comments in his own post on X, external, saying: "We did not force our way thru, the police allowed us to go thru & when stopped in Trafalgar Square we laid our flowers down & dispersed."
Corbyn now sits as the independent MP for Islington North. Hayes and Harlington MP McDonnell currently sits as an independent, after Labour suspended the whip from him for six months in July 2024 for voting against the government over child benefit rules.
Police had imposed a condition on the organisers of the rally under the Public Order Act that prevented them gathering outside the BBC's Broadcasting House because of its close proximity to a synagogue and a risk there could be "serious disruption" as congregants attended services on the Jewish holy day.
A further condition required the rally to be confined to Whitehall.
The nine people charged with public order offences are:
Piers Corbyn, 77, of Elephant and Castle, London
Christopher Nineham, 62, of Bow, London
Angela Zelter, 73, Knighton, Powys
Tessa Roe-Stanton, 20, Starr Thomas, 20, and Christian Adair, 23, all of Brockley, London
Monday Rosenfeld, 21, of Limehouse, London
Matthew Brennan, 44, of St George, Bristol
David Ok, 40, of Kilburn, London