Iranian Embassy Update

Dear Residents,

I hope you are well.

I wanted to provide an update as I am conscious that it has been a little while since I last communicated with you regarding the ongoing protests in the vicinity of the Iranian Embassy.

As many of you will be aware, we have now imposed formal conditions on the pro-monarchy protest group located on Kensington Road by Princes Gate. These conditions have been in place for the last 11 days and apply 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The conditions prohibit participants from:

Today, we also imposed similar conditions on a separate protest taking place near the Ethiopian Embassy. While this involved a different group of protesters, the cumulative impact on the local community was similar, and these conditions enabled us to prevent the use of amplified music and excessive noise throughout the day.

I appreciate that many residents have expressed concerns about inconsistency in the past, particularly around what conditions are in place and how they are enforced. My hope is that these ongoing conditions provide greater clarity, consistency and confidence in our approach to managing the impact of the protests on the local community.

We also have an escalation plan in place for any breaches of these conditions, including out of hours. Officers deployed at the Iranian Embassy are fully aware of this process. Should issues arise, please raise them with officers at the Embassy, who can initiate the appropriate escalation procedures to ensure breaches are addressed and officers are deployed where necessary.

In addition, we have been carrying out work in relation to the tents within the park, and further activity is planned in the coming weeks. You will also see increased joint engagement from the police, the Royal Parks and the local authority as we continue to work together to problem-solve some of the ongoing issues associated with the site.

Thank you for your continued patience and engagement. Please be assured that we remain committed to working with residents and partner agencies to reduce disruption, address concerns and ensure that any protest activity is managed proportionately and appropriately.

Superintendent Natasha Evans