Demonstrators waved banners depicting the face of the Israeli leader with the caption "child killer." Slogans like "Arrest Netanyahu!" and "war criminal!" could be heard from the chanting crowd as well, according to Vice News.
"We're here because we feel that Netanyahu should pay for his war crimes," protester Marion Tehami told Reuters.
From behind cordons nor far away, a group of around 50 demonstrators with Israeli flags rallied to support Israel and its prime minister. They aimed to “promote peace in the region,” one of the protesters claimed.
The opposing camps rallied insults like “dirty Jews” and “terrorists” to one another, with tensions escalating into minor scuffles with law enforcement.
“The UN produced a report, which the UK government agreed with, saying war crimes had taken place last summer which needed to be investigated,” Lamming told RT. “But the UK invites Netanyahu as if nothing’s wrong. The UK supports war crimes because we trade arms which will be used illegally. We cannot allow Israel to act with immunity.”
In response, the UK government issued a statement noting that no state leaders arriving in the country can be arrested under British law.
Ahead of his visit, Netanyahu stressed that Europe should support Israel, as it remains the only “shield” protecting Europe from extremist Islam.
"We're challenged by the opposite of modernity, which is a barbaric medievalism, early medievalism, primitive, savage, murderous, that comes from the two sources of militant Islam [Sunnis and Shias]," Vice News quoted the Israeli Prime Minister as saying.
