Jeremy Corbyn has agreed to be interviewed under caution by police following a pro-Palestinian rally in London yesterday.
The former Labour leader 75, will voluntarily be interviewed on Sunday afternoon alongside ex-Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell.
Corbyn, whose brother Piers was among 10 pro-Palestine protesters charged after allegedly “coordinating” efforts to cause disruption, joined the Palestine Solidarity Campaign’s rally yesterday over the agreed Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage deal.
Scotland Yard confirmed that 77 protesters were arrested yesterday after activists were accused of breaking conditions of the march.
The Metropolitan Police imposed measures to prevent protesters from forming in the vicinity of a synagogue located near Portland Place.
Further conditions were imposed to require protesters to form up Russell Street and follow a specific route to Whitehall.
Corbyn, who was photographed delivering a speech to pro-Palestine protesters in Whitehall, vowed not to “rest until Palestine is free”.
In a later post, the Independent Islington North MP accused Scotland Yard of not fairly reflecting the actions of activists at yesterday’s demonstration.
He said: “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. When we reached Trafalgar Square, we informed police that we would go no further, lay down flowers and disperse.”
He added: “I urge the police to release all bodycam footage and retract its misleading account of events.”
The Metropolitan Police had claimed that protesters “forced” their way through the police line, later urging demonstrators to “dispere and leave the area”.
McDonnell, who also sits as an Independent MP after losing the Labour whip for rebelling on an SNP amendment to scrap the two-child benefit cap, echoed Corbyn’s comments in his own post.
He said: “I spoke at demo and was part of a procession of speakers aiming to go to BBC to lay flowers commemorating the death of Palestinian children. We did not force our way through, the police allowed us to go through and when stopped in Trafalgar Square we laid our flowers down and dispersed.”
The Hayes & Harlington MP added: “Regrettably, soon after I had explained to the police officer our intentions and we awaited the arrangements to lay the flowers, bizarrely the police violently arrested one of the march stewards, who was organising the presentation of the flowers and the dispersal of the crowd.”