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Daily Mail
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Attack at the Iranian Embassy: Two pro-Israel protesters taken to hospital after being set upon - as police arrest six men
Police have arrested six men after two pro-Israel protesters were attacked in a major incident outside the Iranian Embassy today. Detectives have launched an urgent probe after the two men were set upon outside the embassy, which is opposite Hyde Park in west London, just before 10am. Officers and paramedics swooped on Princes Gate, Knightsbridge, scrambling to detain suspects and treat the injured activists. Witnesses told MailOnline how pro-Israeli protesters were chanting support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and calling for the Iranian regime to be toppled before violence erupted and two of the activists were attacked. It comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, with Iran and Israel locked in a brutal conflict that has escalated over the last week. The two victims were treated for injuries at the scene and have been taken to hospital. Dramatic pictures from the scene show the protesters being treated by paramedics on stretchers and receiving oxygen, while the alleged attackers were seen being hauled away in handcuffs. Police said six men have been arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and are being quizzed in custody. The Iranian Embassy became a focal point for protests in 2022 after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody. Protest organiser Shahla Rostami, described the violence outside the Iranian embassy as a 'bloody scene'. The university chief executive said that the protest in favour of Israeli's military actions against Iran and the toppling of the Ayatollah was a brutal attack by Iranian agitators. 'We have been here for a week with a permit from the Metropolitan Police. 'This was a completely peaceful protest without any violence until a man kissing an Iranian flag came up to us and attacked one of our group. He came right up and started punching one of our group. 'It was quite a bloody scene, and although we do not know this, it would not surprise me if the man was paid by the Iranian government to carry out the attack.' It is understood that the victim of the assault had his ankle sliced off by the attacker. Police officers arrested the attack and one man was sent to the trauma unit at a nearby hospital. Police officers split up the protest and told those gathered that they would not be allowed back outside the embassy until Sunday at 1pm. A diplomat from the Dominican Republic saw the fight from his office window. 'I was on my phone taking a call when I saw a man rush over. He was a very big guy and he hit one of the men in the leg with something. 'Then as the man he was attacking fell to the ground he began to hit him repeatedly until people came over and dragged him off.' Speaking about the Iranian embassy more generally the diplomat observed that the staff observed strict security measures and are rarely seen. 'They are straight into the cars and then out. It is very quick and we never really see them.' A spokesman for the Met Police said: 'At 09:53hrs on Friday, 20 June officers responded to reports of an altercation in Princes Gate, SW1. 'Six men have been arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm – they remain in police custody. 'Two men were treated for injuries at the scene and have been taken to hospital for further treatment by the London Ambulance Service. 'Police have cordoned off the area while initial investigations take place.' A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: 'We were called at 9.56am today (20 June) to reports of an assault in Princes Gate, SW7. 'We sent a number of resources to the scene including ambulance crews, paramedics in fast response cars and our Tactical Response Unit. 'We treated two patients at the scene and took one to hospital and one to a major trauma centre.'
The Sun
10 hours ago
- The Sun
Protesters attacked outside Iranian Embassy in London as six arrested
TWO men have been rushed to hospital after a group of protesters were attacked outside the Iranian Embassy. Police confirmed that six men had been arrested following the attack near Hyde Park this morning. 1 Officers remain in the area after two men were treated for their injuries at the scene by medical staff. A spokesman for the Met said: 'At 9.53am on Friday, 20 June, officers responded to reports of an altercation in Prince's Gate, SW1. 'Six men have been arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm – they remain in police custody. 'Two men were treated for injuries at the scene and have been taken to hospital for further treatment by the London Ambulance Service. 'Police have cordoned off the area while initial investigations take place.' is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Like us on Facebook at and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSun.
Daily Mail
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Attack at the Iranian Embassy: Two Pro-Palestine protesters taken to hospital after being set upon - as police arrest six men
Police have arrested six men after two pro-Palestine protesters were attacked in a major incident outside the Iranian Embassy this morning. Detectives have launched an urgent probe after the two men were set upon outside the embassy, which is opposite Hyde Park in west London. Officers and paramedics swooped on Princes Gate, scrambling to detain suspects and treat the casualties. It comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, with Iran and Israel locked in a brutal conflict that has escalated over the last week. The two victims were treated for injuries at the scene and have been taken to hospital. Dramatic pictures from the scene show the protesters being treated by paramedics on stretchers and receiving oxygen, while the alleged attackers were seen being hauled away in handcuffs. Police said six men have been arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and are being quizzed in custody. A spokesman for the Met Police said: 'At 09:53hrs on Friday, 20 June officers responded to reports of an altercation in Princes Gate, SW1. 'Six men have been arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm – they remain in police custody. 'Two men were treated for injuries at the scene and have been taken to hospital for further treatment by the London Ambulance Service. 'Police have cordoned off the area while initial investigations take place.' A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: 'We were called at 9.56am today (20 June) to reports of an assault in Princes Gate, SW7. 'We sent a number of resources to the scene including ambulance crews, paramedics in fast response cars and our Tactical Response Unit. 'We treated two patients at the scene and took one to hospital and one to a major trauma centre.'
The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
‘Swan Whisperer' who ‘cuddled and kissed' birds BANNED from London park after ramming concerned woman with bike
A HOMELESS "swan whisperer" has been banned from entering Hyde Park after a row erupted over his relationship with the park's swans. Anders Fernstedt, 57, had a furious row with a woman after she complained about him kissing and cuddling the birds. 5 5 Bird lovers saw Anders, who sleeps rough on the doorstep of a mansion in Knightsbridge, picking up, kissing and stroking the swans. They took issue with Anders "interfering" with the protected species at the Round Pond near Kensington Palace. Anders got into an altercation with two individuals who tried to stop him from kissing the birds, ramming his bicycle into one of them after she refused to stop filming him. The incident in 2023 saw Virginia Grey, a local resident, and Jon Ferguson, a swan volunteer, confront Anders. Grey filmed the argument and when she refused to stop Anders branded her "Hitler" before ramming his bicycle into her. Jon Ferguson then tried to apprehend Anders with the two ending up in a fight, rolling around on the ground. Mr Ferguson reportedly required stitches on the inside of his mouth and painkillers after the scrap. Following the tussle on the ground between the two men Anders came back and attacked Ferguson again, kicking him in the ribs and torso. The incident saw the "swan whisperer" appear at Southwark crown court charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He was found guilty of the charge by a jury and has been handed a 15-month community order with a 15-day rehabilitation activity requirement. Watch as Dublin Fire Brigade crew rescue swan found wandering in city centre traffic The judge also imposed a restraining order on Anders preventing him from entering Kensington Gardens or Hyde Park and stopping him from contacting Ferguson or Grey for two years. Anders was well known in the local community, dubbed the "swan whisperer" by residents. Some time ago he began living on the front steps of a £210 million mansion on Rutland Gate. Residents have reportedly given him books, trinkets and clothes, its said he has even been gifted a Hugo Boss tracksuit, a £500 Armani jacket and a Savile Row overcoat. 5 5 5 Anders represented himself in court and cross-examined Grey, asking why she was concerned about his interactions with the swans. Grey said: "Birds go to anybody who has food. If you go regularly enough they recognise you. 'They will always come over looking for food. It is not because they think you are fantastic. "But you stroke them, you cuddle them, you kiss them, you pick them up. That is interfering with wildlife, and disturbing them. It is not natural.' In passing sentence the judge, David Etherington, said: 'Mr Ferguson tried to apprehend you but in doing so he fell backward and pulled you over onto the ground and there was a tussle on the ground. "You then came back and further assaulted him, clearly with blows to the face and he says by kicking his ribcage and torso.' Etherington added when explaining how the argument began: "The sad thing is all three of you have an interest in the welfare of birds but different views about how this should be achieved.' Mr Ferguson reportedly warned Anders about touching the swans several times, siting an outbreak of avian flu. Anders ignored the swan volunteers warnings and continued to play with the swans. He denied the charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Bird flu: Could it be the next human pandemic? By Isabel Shaw, Health Reporter The H5N1 bird flu is running rampant in wildlife around the world and is now spreading in cows. In recent months, it infected people in Canada and the US leaving them severely unwell. This increase in transmission has given the virus lots of opportunities to mutate - a process where a pathogen changes and can become more dangerous. Scientists fear it's only a matter of time before one of these mutations makes it better at spreading among mammals - and potentially humans. Experts recently discovered that H5N1 is already just one mutation away from developing the ability to transmit person-to-person communication. Some experts believe the virus could already be spreading among some animal species. So far, there is no evidence that H5N1 can spread between humans. But in the hundreds of cases where humans have been infected through contact with animals over the past 20 years, the mortality rate is high. From 2003 to 2024, 889 cases and 463 deaths caused by H5N1 have been reported worldwide from 23 countries, according to the World Health Organisation. This puts the case fatality rate at 52 per cent. Leading scientists have already warned an influenza is the pathogen most likely to trigger a new pandemic in the near future. The prospect of a flu pandemic is alarming. Although scientists have pointed out that vaccines against many strains, including H5N1, have already been developed, others are still in the pipeline.
Telegraph
a day ago
- Telegraph
‘Swan whisperer' banned from Hyde Park after kissing birds
A so-called 'swan whisperer' has been banned from Hyde Park after kissing the white birds and assaulting two onlookers. Anders Fernstedt was filmed by a resident as he 'stroked, cuddled and kissed' swans in the London park in March 2023. Jon Ferguson, a swan volunteer, told the 57-year-old to stop interfering with the bird because of a recent outbreak of avian flu. Fernstedt then used a bicycle to ram into Virginia Grey, who had filmed him in the act, before attacking Mr Ferguson when he tried to apprehend him. Fernstedt was convicted of assault at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday and handed a 15-month community order. He has also been served a restraining order that bans him from Kensington Gardens in Hyde Park and prevents him from contacting Mr Ferguson or Mrs Grey for two years. Fernstedt had previously become a well-known figure in Rutland Gate, Knightsbridge, where residents showered him with gifts, including designer clothes and a Fortnum and Mason hamper worth £5,000. The recorder, David Etherington KC, told Fernstedt: 'I find you to be an eccentric man but not suffering from an underlying mental illness.' He added: 'You are obviously an intelligent man, you clearly have had a responsible work history and it is unfortunate that seems to have gone away.' The Swedish bird fanatic, who represented himself, asked Mrs Grey during a cross-examination whether she considered herself 'as someone with royalist sympathies'. Mrs Grey said she had sent photos to police to show Fernstedt interfering with the birds. While she also admitted that Fernstedt never caused any harm to the swans, she said his actions had encouraged the spread of the virus. 'Two of the worst Londoners I have ever met' She also claimed that Fernstedt called her 'Hitler' and she was 'very scared' of the defendant. The defendant denounced Mrs Grey and Mr Ferguson as 'two of the worst Londoners I have ever met'. The judge said Mr Ferguson required stitches inside his mouth and suffered from bruised ribs after being attacked by Fernstedt. Mr Ferguson described the defendant as having punched him around his face and slammed his head against the floor before 'kicking him in the back and ribs'. In mitigation, Fernstedt, who has no previous convictions, said he would 'try to modulate the boiling kettle aspect of life'. He previously told a probation officer he became homeless in 2023 after being evicted from his house that was going up for sale. Westminster council determined he had intentionally made himself homeless.
