In a post on X, external on Saturday, the Met posted a photo of what it described as a group “that forced its way through the police line” being held at the north-west corner of Trafalgar Square.
In response, Corbyn said in a separate post, external: “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.”
McDonnell echoed Corbyn’s comments in his own post on X, external, saying: “We did not force our way thru, the police allowed us to go thru & when stopped in Trafalgar Square we laid our flowers down & dispersed.”
Corbyn now sits as the independent MP for Islington North. Hayes and Harlington MP McDonnell currently sits as an independent, after Labour suspended the whip from him for six months in July 2024 for voting against the government over child benefit rules.
Police had imposed a condition on the organisers of the rally under the Public Order Act that prevented them gathering outside the ‘s Broadcasting House because of its close proximity to a synagogue and a risk there could be “serious disruption” as congregants attended services on the Jewish holy day.
A further condition required the rally to be confined to Whitehall.
The nine people charged with public order offences are:
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Piers Corbyn, 77, of Elephant and Castle, London
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Christopher Nineham, 62, of Bow, London
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Angela Zelter, 73, Knighton, Powys
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Tessa Roe-Stanton, 20, Starr Thomas, 20, and Christian Adair, 23, all of Brockley, London
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Monday Rosenfeld, 21, of Limehouse, London
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Matthew Brennan, 44, of St George, Bristol
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David Ok, 40, of Kilburn, London
An earlier version of this article said 10 people had been charged with public order offences, but the Metropolitan Police later confirmed one individual had been named as having been charged in error.
