Eight men arrested near Iranian embassy in London after 'altercation at protest'

Eight men have been arrested near the Iranian embassy in London after a protest turned violent, police have said.

Seven men were detained on suspicion of grievous bodily harm just before 10am on Friday after the Metropolitan Police said it was called to "an altercation during a protest".

Separately, a man has been arrested on suspicion of breaching an order imposed by police to prevent serious disorder.

"Two men were treated for injuries at the scene and have been taken to hospital for further treatment by the London Ambulance Service," police said.

They also confirmed their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

In a statement, the Met said: "Conditions have since been put in place to prevent serious disorder. This stops protesters from gathering in the area until 1pm on Sunday 22 June.

"One man has been taken into police custody after he was arrested on suspicion of breaching the above conditions.

"Seven other men remain in police custody after being arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm."

Officers, who were called to the incident at 9.53am, confirmed the altercation took place in Prince's Gate, which borders Hyde Park in west London.

Violence seems to have erupted between groups supporting and opposing the Iranian leadership.

No further details have been released about the injured men, although the London Ambulance Service (LAS) said they were treated at the scene before one was taken to a major trauma centre and the other to hospital.

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An LAS spokesperson said: "We sent a number of resources to the scene including ambulance crews, paramedics in fast response cars and our Tactical Response Unit."

The Iranian embassy has previously been the target of protests which have turned violent. In September 2022, demonstrators and police clashed outside the building in Knightsbridge.

The protest was focused against the Iranian regime after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody.

Met Police said five officers were seriously injured and 12 people were arrested in those scuffles.

A year later, in September 2023, another rally was held in the same area to mark the first anniversary of Ms Amini's death.

A number of national embassies are located on or near Prince's Gate, including those for the UAE, Afghanistan, Ethiopia and Tunisia.

Separately, the UK said on Friday it was temporarily withdrawing UK staff from its embassy in Iran due to the ongoing security situation there.

"Our embassy continues to operate remotely," a statement said on the UK travel advice webpage for Iran.

(c) Sky News 2025: Eight men arrested near Iranian embassy in London after 'altercation at protest'