ACTORS and musicians have joined union leaders, MPs, peers and campaigners in condemning the police ban on a pro-Palestine march outside BBC headquarters.

The Met Police has gone back on allowing marchers from gathering outside the BBC’s London headquarters on Saturday January 18 due to its proximity to a synagogue.

A statement has been issued by the six organisations behind the national Palestine marches and supported by at least 150 high-profile individuals and organisations.

Supporters include Liberty, Amnesty International, Greenpeace, musicians Brian Eno and Charlotte Church and actors Mark Rylance and Juliet Stevenson.

Union leaders including PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote, the RMT’s Mick Lynch, the NEU’s Daniel Kebede and FBU’s Matt Wrack have also signed the statement.

It reads: “It is not acceptable in a democratic society that, in the face of an ongoing genocide in Gaza, people should be barred from protesting at the BBC. 

“We call on the police to drop their objections and allow the protest to go ahead as planned.”

The Met Police said it would consider using the Public Order Act if protesters ignore the ban.