'Well-funded' organisers of Palestine protests should foot £20million police  bill, says Tory MP after thousands march through London yet again to protest Israeli military action in Gaza

Organisers of pro-Palestine protests which regularly take over central London should be made to pay the costs of policing them, a senior MP said today.

Sir Julian Lewis, the chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee, said the ‘well-funded organisers’ of the demonstrations that have taken place since October 7 should foot the bill.

The New Forest East MP spoke in the Commons days after the latest protest took place in the capital in the wake of UK air attacks on Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Tens of thousands of people took part in the protest, with some shouting ‘Yemen, Yemen, make us proud, turn another ship around,’ a reference to the missiles being fired at vessels in the Red Sea that sparked the military action.

Sir Julian told the Commons: ‘How many times must a demonstration on the same cause be repeated week in week out, before the well-funded organisers become liable to pay for at least part of the policing costs?’

Sir Julian Lewis, the chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee, said the ‘well-funded organisers’ of the demonstrations that have taken place since October 7 should foot the bill.

The New Forest East MP spoke in the Commons days after the latest protest took place in the capital in the wake of UK air attacks on Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Home Secretary James Cleverly replied: ‘We recognise that there is legitimacy to public protests, we do also recognise that the unprecedented and unwarranted pressure that this is putting on policing around the country is having an impact on communities.

‘My view is that the organisers have made their point, repeating it does not strengthen their argument.

‘And unfortunately we are also seeing some deeply distasteful people weaving themselves in amongst those protesters, who are protesting on issues that they feel passionate about but whose good will is being abused by others.’

In a review sent to the Home Office earlier this month, Lord Walney, the Government’s independent advisor on political violence and disruption, said disorder seen at ‘the anti-Israel marches’ means there is an argument for groups to cover ‘some policing costs’.

Since the war broke out between Hamas and Israel following the terrorist organisation’s October 7 attacks, continual protests calling for a ceasefire have been held across London and other major cities in the UK.

By mid-December, the Metropolitan Police alone had deployed up to 2,000 officers to the capital every weekend since Hamas invaded to tackle the marches, which is said to have cost the tax payer an estimated £20 million.

Appearing before MPs last month, the force’s assistant commissioner Matt Twist warned that the weekly Saturday marches had caused the ‘greatest period of sustained pressure on the Met since the Olympics in 2012’.