A SCOT was among seven people who have been charged by the Metropolitan Police following protests in London on Armistice Day.
William Duncan, 48, of Armadale, West Lothian was charged with being drunk and disorderly.
He has been bailed to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on November 30.
He joined six others, who were charged with a variety of offences including criminal damage, resisting arrest, possession of an offensive weapon, possession of class A drugs and assault on an emergency worker.
Police detained and arrested scores of counter-protesters as hundreds of thousands of people took part in the biggest UK rally since the Israel-Hamas conflict began on October 7.
A breakaway group of around 150 people from the march, who were firing fireworks and wearing face coverings, were later detained in Grosvenor Place, the Met said.
It is unclear if those arrested formed part of this group of counter-protestors or the main group.
Rishi Sunak condemned “wholly unacceptable” actions by both far-right groups and those on the pro-Palestinian march, and put pressure on police by saying “all criminality must be met with the full and swift force of the law”.
Sunak said in a statement: “I condemn the violent, wholly unacceptable scenes we have seen today from the EDL (English Defence League) and associated groups and Hamas sympathisers attending the National March for Palestine.
“The despicable actions of a minority of people undermine those who have chosen to express their views peacefully.”
He said their actions do “not defend the honour of our Armed Forces, but utterly disrespects them”.
“That is true for EDL thugs attacking police officers and trespassing on the Cenotaph, and it is true for those singing antisemitic chants and brandishing pro-Hamas signs and clothing on today’s protest.”
He said he would be meeting the Met chief, adding: “All criminality must be met with the full and swift force of the law. That is what I told the Met Police Commissioner on Wednesday, that is what they are accountable for and that is what I expect.”
Sunak has faced growing calls to sack Suella Braverman as Home Secretary as she has been accused of stoking tensions by branding pro-Palestinian demonstrators “hate marchers” and accusing the police of bias for letting the rally go ahead.
Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said: “Suella Braverman was warned repeatedly of the dangers of inflaming tensions and undermining the police. A Home Secretary that doesn’t take seriously the security of our streets is only allowed to remain in a government that has lost all sense of governing. Britain is better than Rishi Sunak and his Cabinet.”
The events in London came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected growing international calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, saying his country’s battle to crush Hamas militants would continue with “full force”.
A ceasefire would be possible only if all 239 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza were released, he said in a televised address.
The Israeli leader also insisted that after the war, now entering its sixth week, Gaza would be demilitarised and Israel would retain security control there.
