Summary

A man was arrested after spitting at pro-Israel counter-protesters during a demonstration over Gaza at a London university. The incident, which took place at UCL, led to seven arrests, including for a public order offence and racially aggravated offences.

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Shocking moment man spits towards pro-Israel protesters in front of police

A man has been arrested after pro-Israel counter-protesters were spat at on the street during a demonstration over Gaza at a central London university.

Footage from the incident shows a police officer ushering the spitter away while telling the furious group: ‘Yes I saw it, go away.’

The incident took place at the campus for University College London (UCL) in the Bloomsbury area of the city yesterday.

Nearby, a separate group of people was involved in the latest pro-Palestine march in the capital.

For several months, the Met has faced the challenge of policing weekly protests and counter-protests over the extremely sensitive issue of the war in the Middle East.

The video from Saturday’s event shows officers speaking to a man who is standing near the pro-Israel group.

As he appears to be preparing to leave, the man turns around and spits on the ground, enraging a counter-protester who shouts: ‘Shame on you, you violent thug.’

When asked if he saw the spit, a police officer responds: ‘Yes, I saw it, go away.’

The man filming asks why the spitter did not say sorry, and the same officer says: ‘He done it in front of you, yeah he’s not said sorry – he’s being rude.’

Spitting deliberately towards a person or people can constitute assault in UK law.

A man was later arrested on suspicion of a public order offence, the Met said, one of seven arrests made at protests across London yesterday.

They also included four people arrested in relation to the displaying of a banner that appeared to be supporting a proscribed organisation, a man arrested near a pro-Palestine protest in Tottenham Court Road on suspicion of a racially aggravated offence, and a second man – who was not linked to the protest – arrested a short time later on suspicion of racially abusing a police officer.

It comes just two weeks after an inflammatory row between the force and Gideon Falter, the boss of the Campaign Against Antisemitism.

Mr Falter called for Met commissioner Sir Mark Rowley to resign, after one of his officers was filmed describing him as ‘openly Jewish’ when he appeared at a pro-Palestine march wearing a kippah.

However, figures including newly re-elected London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak gave Sir Mark their backing.