London: London’s Met Police said that it was investigating an officer who was caught on camera hugging a demonstrator at a march and shouting “free Palestine”, the BBC reported.
Footage that went viral on social media showed the unidentified officer holding a white rose and raising her arms in support of those gathered against the Israeli bombings on Palestinians.
The Met Police said that the Directorate of Professional Standards has been informed of the incident.
“Whilst we expect officers to engage, they must remain impartial. Officers know they are not to actively participate or adopt political positions, and this is made clear in their training and in the oath that all police officers take. This is vital to ensuring the public have confidence in our officers,” said a Met Police spokesperson in a statement.
The police force stated that a full investigation of the incident will be done to determine what further action should be taken.
On Saturday, several thousand protesters descended on the streets of London carrying placards reading “Stop bombing Gaza” and chanting “Free Palestine”. The protestors converged on Marble Arch in London and marched towards the Israeli embassy in the UK capital.
Packed crowds stretched along Kensington High Street where the embassy is located. Al Jazeera reported that organisers claimed close to 100,000 people had gathered for the demonstration. Al Jazeera
