Law experts demand inquiry into Met policing of pro-Palestine protest

Forty academics write to home secretary over weekend's dangerous assault' on the right to protest

More than 40 legal scholars have signed a letter calling for an independent inquiry into the Met's policing of a pro-Palestine protest in London on Saturday, describing it as a disproportionate, unwarranted and dangerous assault on the right to assembly and protest".

The force said it arrested 77 people at the demonstration, having banned protesters from gathering outside the BBC's London headquarters, citing its proximity to a synagogue and the fact it was taking place on the Sabbath. The ban led to the protest being changed to a static rally, but the Met claimed people broke through police lines in a coordinated effort to breach the conditions.