UK police to use River Thames to keep pro-Iranian rally apart from opponents

By Michael Holden

LONDON, March 12 (Reuters) - British police said on Thursday they would use the River Thames as a barrier to separate pro-Iranian protesters from counterdemonstrators in central London this weekend in what they said was a unique way of preventing possible violent clashes.

The police, with the approval of interior minister Shabana Mahmood, announced earlier this week that Sunday's planned annual Al Quds march, organised by the Islamic Human Rights Commission, had been banned citing the tensions and risks created by the Iran war.

However, that ban does not prevent a static assembly and the IHRC, which police said is supportive of the Iranian regime, intends to go ahead with a rally for "Palestinian liberation."

London Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan said that in order "to reduce the risk of serious public disorder," the IHRC protest would be held on the south bank of the Thames.

A counterprotest, involving a mix of groups from opponents of the Tehran government to pro-Israeli supporters, will be on the other side of the river, with Westminster's Lambeth Bridge closed.

"This is a new bespoke tactic, and something we have not tried before in recent times," he told reporters. "This is a unique set of circumstances."

Some 1,000 police officers will be on duty for the protests, with about 12,000 protesters expected, although Adelekan said far more could turn up.

"While we will protect the right to freedom of speech, there is a zero-tolerance approach to hate crime and anyone who crosses the line can expect to face arrest," he said.

Adelekan said the ban on the Al Quds march, the first of its kind in 14 years, did not set a precedent for Iranian protests or pro-Palestinian demonstrations.

He said the decision had not been taken lightly but their assessment was that even with strict conditions it would have required "significant resources and likely use of force" to keep the rival marches apart.