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Met Police Commissioner Mark Rowley accused of making “false claims and accusations” against anti-war protestors, correction requested

The Palestine Coalition has written to the Metropolitan Police Commissioner calling on him to retract his claims that they “set out with an intent to march near synagogues”. The letter describes these claims as “incomprehensible and defamatory” and urges a “speedy … retraction.”

The letter

Dear Mark Rowley

We are very concerned to see that you have publicly stated that the organisers’ initial suggestion for the Palestine marches have ‘involved walking by a synagogue’ and that this sends a message that ‘feels like antisemitism’. These claims are incomprehensible and defamatory.

Our first route suggestion for the next demonstration to commemorate the Nakba, made in writing on 18 December last year, was for a march from Embankment to Whitehall, via Westminster and Waterloo bridges, a route which we have used at least twice before and on which there are no synagogues.

After three months of silence we finally were told by your officers that this route was disallowed on the grounds that Tommy Robinson’s far right demonstration – a real hate march – was inexplicably going to be granted the whole political centre of London, and that we would have to march elsewhere.

Our second suggestion, made after much protest, was that we march from the Israeli Embassy via Knightsbridge to Trafalgar Square – again, a route that does not go past a synagogue, and one previously agreed by the police.This too has been disallowed, and a shorter route has been arbitrarily imposed.

The truth is that at no point have we ever requested to ‘walk by’ a synagogue on any of our marches. We have no interest in doing so. Police recordings of our meetings with you will confirm this.

We can and will provide the email evidence to back up these facts. It is completely unacceptable for a senior public official to make these false claims and accusations, which can only raise the level of tension in the current situation.

We urge a speedy public retraction of your statement and the accompanying scurrilous claim of antisemitism.

Yours sincerely

The Palestine Coalition

Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Palestinian Forum of Britain
Stop the War Coalition
Friends of Al-Aqsa
Muslim Association of Britain
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament04 May 2026

Continue ReadingMet Police Commissioner Mark Rowley accused of making “false claims and accusations” against anti-war protestors, correction requested

Trump Admin Denies That Iran Hit US Warship Entering Strait of Hormuz

Article by Stephen Prager republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

A photo illustration taken in Nicosia on May 4, 2026, shows a person in front of a large screen displaying vessel movements in the Strait of Hormuz on a ship-tracking website. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images)

One foreign policy expert urged skepticism of the administration’s claim, noting its consistent pattern of “immediate, unequivocal denial, then slowly dribbling out confirmation.”

The Trump administration has denied reports from Iranian media on Monday that a US Navy warship was hit in the Strait of Hormuz.

After US President Donald Trump said this weekend that the US Navy would help “guide” commercial ships through the strait, in what was referred to as “Project Freedom,” an Iranian official described it as a ploy to “provoke” retaliation and pledged that any vessels attempting to navigate the waterway without authorization would be “promptly intercepted” by Iranian forces.

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According to Iranian news agencies, that is just what occurred on Monday morning. The Fars News Agency, which is linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said that according to local news sources, “two missiles” had made impact in an attack on a US Navy frigate that had entered the strait without permission from the Iranian government.

It said the ship “violated security protocols for transit and navigation near Jask with the intent to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, [and] came under missile attack after ignoring warnings from the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Navy.” Fars added that the ship “has been prevented from continuing its course due to these strikes and has been forced to retreat and flee the area.”

In a comment to Reuters, a senior Iranian official added that it was unclear whether the warship had sustained any damage.

The Tasnim news agency published a statement from the Iranian army’s public relations department, saying that “with the decisive and swift warning from the Navy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the entry of enemy American Zionist destroyers into the Strait of Hormuz area was prevented.”

US Central Command (CENTCOM) quickly denied the claim, posting a “fact check” on social media.

“CLAIM: Iranian state media claims that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps hit a US warship with two missiles,” the post said. “TRUTH: No US Navy ships have been struck. US forces are supporting Project Freedom and enforcing the naval blockade on Iranian ports.”

Another post stated that “US Navy guided-missile destroyers are currently operating in the Arabian [Persian] Gulf after transiting the Strait of Hormuz in support of Project Freedom” and that “American forces are actively assisting efforts to restore transit for commercial shipping.”

It added that “as a first step, two US-flagged merchant vessels have successfully transited through the Strait of Hormuz and are safely headed on their journey.”

Iran’s shuttering of the Strait of Hormuz to unauthorized ships has allowed it to wreak havoc on the Western economy in retaliation for the war launched by the US and Israel at the end of February.

About 20% of the globe’s seaborne oil shipments pass through the waterway, and its closure has caused global oil prices to spike, driving US gas prices to more than $4 on average and rippling inflation through the economy.

Observers of open-source marine tracking reports have said it did not show that two US-flagged merchant ships passed through the strait on Monday. However, it is possible the ships could have navigated the strait with the tracking technology disabled.

While information from the strait remains scarce, Matt Duss, a former foreign policy adviser to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has said the public should remain skeptical of the Trump administration’s denials given its track record.

“Watch closely,” he wrote on social media. “The Trump administration’s consistent pattern has been immediate, unequivocal denial, then slowly dribbling out confirmation that ‘yeah, that happened, it was bad, actually very bad,’ and hope coverage has already moved on, and no one notices.”

As an example, he pointed to the first Trump administration’s claim following the 2020 assassination of IRGC Gen. Qassem Soleimani that retaliatory attacks against the Al Asad airbase, a US military installation, had resulted in zero casualties.

“Initially, Trump claimed, ‘We suffered no casualties,’” Duss said. “In the weeks that followed, we learned that there were actually over 100 casualties.” At least 109 US troops had suffered brain injuries from the strikes, according to the Pentagon.

More recently, CENTCOM initially denied claims that Iran had shot down US fighter jets in early April, claiming that “all aircraft are accounted for” when a plane had, in fact, been shot down, requiring a multi-day operation to rescue two pilots from Iranian territory.

Article by Stephen Prager republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Strait of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don't need people to join wars after they've already won. He's challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Strait of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.

Continue ReadingTrump Admin Denies That Iran Hit US Warship Entering Strait of Hormuz

Trump’s Strait of Hormuz Ploy Aims to Manufacture ‘Pretext for Escalation,’ Iran Warns

Article by Jake Johnson republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

A cargo boat navigates the sea behind a mural depicting the shoreline on April 28, 2026 on Qeshm Island, Iran. (Photo by Asghar Besharati/Getty Images)

“Any American interference in the new maritime regime of the Strait of Hormuz will be considered a violation of the ceasefire,” said a member of the Iranian Parliament.

Iranian officials warned Sunday that US President Donald Trump’s newly announced plan to help “guide” stranded ships out of the Strait of Hormuz is an attempted provocation aimed at justifying additional military action against the Middle Eastern country.

An unnamed senior Iranian official told Drop Site that Trump’s plan, announced on Truth Social and confirmed by the US military, “is primarily intended to provoke Iran into taking an initial step toward confrontation, thereby creating a pretext for escalation and enabling him to justify further military action in response to an Iranian initiative.”

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The official added that “our definitive position is that any commercial vessel attempting to transit through designated restricted routes without prior coordination will be promptly intercepted by Iranian forces.”

“Should US military vessels respond, such actions would be met with an immediate and corresponding response from Iran,” the official continued. “The US military vessels are far from the corridor area. If commercial vessels attempt to move, they would be engaged well before reaching any American ships,” the official added. “Trump has effectively turned them into bargaining tools in his political game.”

Ebrahim Azizi, who heads the national security commission of the Iranian Parliament, warned in response to Trump’s plan that “any American interference in the new maritime regime of the Strait of Hormuz will be considered a violation of the ceasefire” that took effect in early April.

“The Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf would not be managed by Trump’s delusional posts,” Azizi added.

Trump wrote on his social media platform on Sunday that his administration has told countries with vessels stranded in the vital strait that “we will guide their Ships safely out of these restricted Waterways, so that they can freely and ably get on with their business.” Iran closed the strait—through which around 25% of the world’s seaborne oil trade and a third of global fertilizer trade flows each year—in response to the US-Israeli war as well as the Trump administration’s naval blockade against Iran.

The US president characterized his plan, which is titled Project Freedom and set to take effect on Monday, as a “humanitarian gesture on behalf of the United States,” but provided few details on how it would work.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement on Sunday that military support for Project Freedom would “include guided-missile destroyers, over 100 land and sea-based aircraft, multi-domain unmanned platforms, and 15,000 servicemembers.”

“Last week, the U.S. Department of State announced a new initiative, in partnership with the Department of War, to enhance coordination and information sharing among international partners in support of maritime security in the strait,” CENTCOM said. “The Maritime Freedom Construct aims to combine diplomatic action with military coordination, which will be critical during Project Freedom.”

Brian Finucane, senior adviser to the US Program at the International Crisis Group, wrote that CENTCOM’s statement makes the president’s plan “sound like information-sharing backed by a vague threat of military action.”

The president’s scheme drew immediate support from one of the most vocal boosters of the Iran war, US Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who said he “totally” agrees with Trump’s decision to launch Project Freedom.

“I hope this conflict can end diplomatically,” said Graham, “but it is now time to regain freedom of navigation and forcefully respond to Iran if they insist on terrorizing the world.”

Article by Jake Johnson republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

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Donald Trump sings and dances, says that it’s fun to kill everyone …

Continue ReadingTrump’s Strait of Hormuz Ploy Aims to Manufacture ‘Pretext for Escalation,’ Iran Warns

Starmer’s proposed protest bans would ‘strike at the root of free assembly and free speech,’ campaigners say

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/starmers-proposed-protest-bans-would-strike-root-free-assembly-and-free-speech-campaigners

 People take part in a Palestine Solidarity Campaign rally in Lewisham, south-east London, May 2, 2026

CAMPAIGNERS have hit back at Sir Keir Starmer’s latest threats to ban some pro-Palestine marches, saying restrictions would “strike at the root of free assembly and free speech.”

The Prime Minister told BBC Radio 4’s Today on Saturday “there are instances” in which he supports a moratorium on peace demonstrations.

“I think it’s time to look across the board at protests and the cumulative effect,” he said. “I think it’s time for, I would say, some people protesting to just reflect on what the Jewish community is going through and the overall impact that this is having.”

Stop the War coalition co-founder John Rees said the PM’s comments were a “threat” to the massive marches the coalition has helped organise since the start of Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza.

A ban would “strike at the root of free assembly and free speech in this country,” he told Sky News.

He also warned the PM against “completely fallacious” conflations of pro-Palestine demonstrations and attacks on Jewish people, such as last week’s knife attack in Golders Green.

Mr Rees said of the man charged with three counts of attempted murder after last Wednesday’s north London stabbing: “These kinds of individuals are not attached to the Palestine movement.

“They are not attached to the marches. There’s no evidence that they’ve ever seen a march, let alone been on one, or that the organisers would for a second condone it.

“We have to be absolutely clear here, there is no threat whatsoever to the Jewish community from these marches.

…

Article continues at https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/starmers-proposed-protest-bans-would-strike-root-free-assembly-and-free-speech-campaigners

Keir Starmer says that he's banning words and phrases now as well as placards.
Keir Starmer says that he’s banning words and phrases now as well as placards.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.

Continue ReadingStarmer’s proposed protest bans would ‘strike at the root of free assembly and free speech,’ campaigners say

Morning Star Editorial: Defy Trump, resist imperialism and stand with socialist Cuba

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/defy-trump-resist-imperialism-and-stand-socialist-cuba

 Soldiers attend an event marking International Workers’ Day at Jose Marti Anti-Imperialist Square in Havana, Cuba, May 1, 2026

THE international peace conference in solidarity with socialist Cuba over the May Day weekend spoke important truths.

It linked the “multidimensional economic, financial, political, security and environmental crises” engulfing the planet — and noted that the “aggressive escalation of American imperialism” is intensifying them all.

It identified the United States as “the primary threat to global peace and security,” not so much a world policeman, as it has often thought of itself, but a global gangster that bullies, steals and destroys.

It connected US aggression against Cuba and Venezuela in the western hemisphere with its violence in the Middle East, and the genocide perpetrated by its ally Israel against the Palestinians.

And it brought together grassroots organisations, trade unions, peace campaigns and youth groups on an international basis to plan co-ordinated resistance.

No festival is so international as May Day, the workers’ day, with marches in Havana and Chicago, London and Rome, Baghdad and Beijing.

Rallies took up the message of defiance everywhere. Over 100 US unions took up the call “no work, no school, no shopping” for May Day, with specific marches like New York’s highlighting the connection between corporate power and state brutality under the slogan “Amazon delivers Ice.”

The Israeli police raided youth club premises to snatch Palestinian flags ahead of the demos, fearing any show of solidarity with the victims of their state’s relentless terror. In Cuba, electricity and energy workers took centre stage, as a whole nation saluted those trying to keep the lights on and the power flowing in the face of a brutal US siege.

So it was fitting that the International Meeting of Solidarity with Anti-Imperialism, dubbed 100 Years With Fidel, called on the world to stand with Cuba just as Cuba — exporter of medical care and education, valiant ally of the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa, beacon of socialism on the doorstep of the world’s most aggressive capitalist power — has so often stood with the world.

It made important commitments. One, to keep promoting convoys to breach the blockade and deliver essential supplies to Cuba. This is practical solidarity, like that organised in Britain by the Cuba Solidarity Campaign through its Cuba Vive appeal.

Two, to build links between left media organisations to counter the labyrinth of lies built up by the news and opinion monopolies that dominate global communications.

Three, international mobilisation and protest. The ceasefire in Gaza — hugely inadequate and regularly violated as it is — was brought about by the global scale of protest for Palestine. Trump told Benjamin Netanyahu, “you can’t fight the world.” The US should be made to feel, through protests at embassies and pressure on governments, that to attack Cuba is to fight the world.

The US threat to Cuba is urgent — Donald Trump reiterated military threats on May Day itself. It is not something we can’t do anything about.

The US needs to know it will pay a heavy price for attacking Cuba, and that means pressure on our own government to grow a backbone. Britain votes against the illegal US blockade of Cuba every year — why can’t it stick up for its own sovereignty and protect British companies that trade with Cuba from extraterritorial US punishment, as China has just done for its companies sanctioned for trading with Iran?

As we saw in Havana, building ties across borders provides the surest defence against the world war Trump threatens, which our own rulers seem willing to join.

The international peace conference in London on June 20, following one in Paris and preceding one in Madrid, is key to confronting the militarists, averting war and charting a more rational future.

As they say in Cuba, another world is possible.

With the most reactionary racist, climate-denialist, violence-worshipping zealots taking US imperialism on a global rampage, winning that world is not just an existential question for Cubans, but for us all.

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/defy-trump-resist-imperialism-and-stand-socialist-cuba

Orcas discuss Donald Trump and the killer apes' concept of democracy. Front Orca warns that Trump is crashing his country's economy and that everything he does he does for the fantastically wealthy.
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Donald Trump sings and dances, says that it's fun to kill everyone ...
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Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
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Continue ReadingMorning Star Editorial: Defy Trump, resist imperialism and stand with socialist Cuba