PKK supporters clash with London police for 2nd day

LONDON

Supporters of the PKK terrorist group clashed with police in north London for a second day on Thursday after the Metropolitan Police arrested seven people in connection with suspected terrorist activity linked to the group.

A group of PKK supporters gathered outside the Turnpike Lane underground station chanting slogans against Türkiye and the UK while calling for "Freedom for Ocalan," referring to Abdullah Ocalan, the convicted ringleader of the PKK, who is serving a life sentence in Türkiye.

Later, they marched towards a community center in London’s Harringay neighborhood under intense police presence.

Upon arriving, they began hurling water bottles towards the officers and a skirmish broke out.

It marked the second consecutive day of clashes with police following a confrontation between PKK supporters and officers late Wednesday after seven people were arrested earlier in a coordinated operation by London’s Counter Terrorism Command.

The arrests were made at various locations throughout London under Section 41(1) of the Terrorism Act of 2000. All of the suspects are currently in custody at a London police station.

"Officers continue to carry out search activity at the Kurdish Community Centre as part of the ongoing investigation, and it remains closed to the public at this time," the police said Wednesday.

The Metropolitan Police said earlier that two women aged 59 and 31 and four men aged 27, 62, 56 and 23 were arrested at separate addresses early Wednesday, while the seventh suspect, a 31-year-old man, was arrested in west London later in the day.

"Our enquiries remain ongoing, and we continue to investigate what are very serious allegations," Acting Commander Helen Flanagan from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command said Thursday.

"We anticipate that some of our search activity will continue for several days," she added.