Thursday saw a second day of clashes between PKK terrorist sympathizers and police in north London following the arrest of seven people by the Metropolitan Police in relation to alleged terrorist activities associated with the group.
A group of PKK supporters gathered outside the Turnpike Lane underground station chanting slogans against Türkiye and the United Kingdom while calling for “Freedom for Öcalan,” referring to Abdullah Öcalan, the convicted ringleader of the PKK, who is serving a life sentence in Türkiye.
Later, they marched toward a community center in London’s Harringay neighborhood under intense police presence.
Upon arriving, they began hurling water bottles toward the officers and a skirmish broke out.
It marked the second consecutive day of clashes with police following a confrontation between PKK sympathizers and officers late Wednesday after seven people were arrested earlier in a coordinated operation by London’s Counter Terrorism Command.
Five men aged 23, 27, 31, 56 and 62, and two women aged 31 and 59, were arrested across London as part of the probe into the proscribed PKK.
London’s Metropolitan Police said they were all detained under the Terrorism Act and remained in police custody on Thursday evening.
Police said a warrant of further detention for all seven was sought and obtained from Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday – meaning they can be detained in custody until Friday.
Following the arrests, searches were carried out in eight locations across London.
On Thursday evening, the Metropolitan Police said three of the searches were complete and five remained ongoing.
Acting Commander Helen Flanagan, from the Met’s counterterrorism command, said the investigation continued into the “very serious allegations.”
“We anticipate that some of our search activity will continue for several days, and we know this is causing disruption and inconvenience to parts of the local community, but I can assure them that we will be looking to return the venues as soon as we possibly can,” she said.
“As I’ve said before, these arrests have been targeted at specific individuals suspected of being linked to terrorist activity. I want to reassure the community that our activity is being carried out to keep everyone safe from potential harm.”
Searches have taken place at the Kurdish community center in Haringey, north London, among other locations.
A protest took place on Thursday evening in the vicinity of Green Lanes and Stanhope Gardens, close to the Kurdish community center.
The Metropolitan Police said a man was arrested on suspicion of expressing support for a proscribed terrorist organization related to chanting during the protest.
Detective Chief Superintendent Caroline Haines, who leads local policing for the Haringey area, said: “I’m continuing to meet with Kurdish community members and I am grateful for their support and understanding during what we know is a very difficult time for them.”
The Met said there would be an increased police presence in Haringey and local neighborhood officers were carrying out additional patrols.
It added that officers were continuing to hold meetings with community leaders, as well as local resident and community groups to keep them updated about the progress of the investigation.
The PKK is a terrorist group responsible for over 40,000 civilian and security personnel deaths during an almost four-decadelong campaign of terror aimed at establishing so-called Kurdish self-rule in southeastern Türkiye and has been banned in the U.K. since 2001.