A demonstration organized by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and other groups in Westminster turned violent, resulting in injuries to three police officers

and 40 arrests, according to the Metropolitan Police.

During the protest in Whitehall, one officer sustained a serious facial injury after being struck by a bottle thrown from within the crowd. The suspect responsible for the assault has not yet been identified, but police have launched an investigation into the incident.

The arrests were made in connection with assaults on emergency workers, obstruction of the highway, and breaches of the public order act. The protest, which began at 6:00 PM BST, was initially planned to last for two hours. However, while the majority of the estimated 8,000 to 10,000 protesters dispersed peacefully at the scheduled time, a group of approximately 500 continued to demonstrate.

A breakaway march proceeded to Bridge Street, outside Westminster Tube station, where police established cordons to contain the crowd. Some individuals resisted arrest, necessitating police to use force to remove them from the scene.

In response to the escalating situation, officers entered the crowd around 10:00 PM to apprehend those suspected of leading the breakaway protest.

The Palestine Solidarity Campaign stated that the emergency march was organized to reaffirm calls for a ceasefire in Gaza following an Israeli airstrike that resulted in a fire, claiming the lives of at least 45 Palestinians on Sunday. Photo by http://www.cgpgrey.com, Wikimedia commons.