The Deputy Prime Minister also said that Black Lives Matter activists have not spoken openly about anti-Semitism, despite the massacre of hundreds of Israeli civilians last month.
On Sunday, the Metropolitan Police Federation said officers were concerned about how they would police Saturday’s potentially volatile situation, as well as how the public would react.
Metropolitan Police officers are understood to be particularly worried about a public backlash if they are forced to arrest veterans who clash with protesters.
Rick Prior, vice-president of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said: “No one knows what is going to happen, but there is obviously concern that there could be a confrontation between those who want to mark Remembrance Day and those protesting the war in Gaza.
“It’s a really complicated dynamic for them to control. I think the officers on the ground are damned if they do and damned if they don’t.
Rebel activists could deviate from the route
Veterans charities said they would focus on Armistice Day commemorations on Saturday, with hundreds of veterans expected to gather in the morning at the Cenotaph for a procession, a two-minute silence and a wreath-laying ceremony to commemorate British war dead.
The Western Front Association, which will lay a wreath in memory of those who gave their lives in the First World War, said it would carry out its commemoration with “dignity and solemn reflection”.
A spokesperson said the association “relies on police guidance to ensure the safety of all attendees.”
The veterans charity said it would focus on honoring the fallen with “calm, dignified professionalism and respect.”
A member of the British Legion, who did not want to be named, hoped “common sense would prevail”.
“People are there because they want to passionately remember their fallen comrades, if that is disrupted in any way I think it will be extremely disturbing,” he added.
The Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, which is organizing the protest, said it would stick to the route dictated by the Metropolitan Police, adding that its protest would not begin until 12.45pm.
But government sources have warned that rebel activists could deviate from the route, which runs from Hyde Park to the US embassy in Battersea and reaches the Cenotaph.
“You can imagine the scenes. It would be a wall of police against people trying to get there,” said a government member who is monitoring the police response.
“When a march becomes fragmented it is more difficult to control.”
Boris Johnson, the former prime minister, has added his voice to the growing list of senior Conservatives criticizing those who take to the streets to support Palestine.
