Charing Cross pro-Palestine sit-in sees protesters surround poppy sellers

Protesters at Charing Cross station in London were seen surrounding poppy sellers after a large pro-Palestine demonstration caused disruption to train travel.

The train station in the capital wasn't the only targeted today, as Glasgow Central and Manchester Piccadilly both saw protests yesterday afternoon. At Charing Cross, a protest began at around 4pm, as huge numbers poured into the station with signs and Palestine flags.

A spokesperson for British Transport Police (BTP) said the demonstration had prevented passengers from reaching platforms and boarding their services. This was in breach of the Section 7 Public Order Act 2023 so officers advised protests to leave the station.

At one point, passengers were stopped from entering the Charing Cross station while the protesters were inside, and the building was forced to operate temporarily under an exit-only system.

The incident came on a day where tens of thousands of people took part in large marches the capital in support of the Palestinian cause amid the Israel-Hamas war. The Met Police confirmed a total of 29 arrests on Saturday, including one for racial hatred, and three for assaulting a police officer.

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Alongside the Charing Cross sit-in, there were protests in central London (Getty Images)

"All protest activity has now ended and stations are working as normal, with no disruption to services. British Transport Police has increased patrols and will continue to work with the rail industry and community partners to ensure that everyone using the rail network feels protected. Abuse, intimidation or violence – especially that which is religiously motivated, will never be tolerated and our officers will take robust action against those who seek to cause harm or spread hate.

Since Hamas' October 7 attack reignited the latest round of conflict, there have been protests every weekend (Getty Images)