
Five arrested in UK for disrupting film starring Israeli actor Gadot
LONDON: London police on Wednesday arrested five people for trying to disrupt the filming of a movie starring Israeli actress Gal Gadot, a statement said.
Gadot, star of 'Wonder Woman' and in 'Fast and Furious' is in London to film a new thriller 'The Runner'. She has been criticised by pro-Palestinian groups for expressing her support of Israel since the Gaza war erupted in 2023.
Police said officers were deployed to a 'filming location' in Westminster 'to identify suspects wanted in connection with offences at previous film set protests and to deal with any new offences.'
The arrests were for blocking an access to a place of work. Police said in a statement posted on social media that two of the arrests were for previous protests and three for action carried out Wednesday.
'While we absolutely acknowledge the importance of peaceful protest, we have a duty to intervene where it crosses the line into serious disruption or criminality,' said Superintendent Neil Holyoak in the statement.
'I hope today's operation shows we will not tolerate the harassment of or unlawful interference with those trying to go about their legitimate professional work in London,' the officer added.
Pro-Palestinian protesters also disrupted a Hollywood ceremony in March when Gadot's star on the Walk of Fame was unveiled.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Lebanon says one killed in Israeli strike on south
BEIRUT: Lebanon's health ministry said an Israeli strike on the south of the country Sunday killed one person, the third deadly raid in four days despite a ceasefire with Hezbollah. The ministry said an 'Israeli enemy' strike targeted a motorcycle in the village of Arnoun, in the Nabatieh region about five kilometres (three miles) from the Israeli border. Farther south, another strike hit a car in Beit Lif, in the Bint Jbeil area, wounding one person, the ministry said. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. Israel has continued to strike Lebanon despite the ceasefire that took effect on November 27, ending more than a year of conflict -- including two months of open war -- with militant group Hezbollah, which emerged severely weakened. On Thursday, two people were killed in Israeli strikes on the south, and another died in a raid on Saturday. Under the truce terms, Hezbollah fighters were to withdraw north of the Litani River, about 30 kilometres from the border, and dismantle their military posts to the south. Israel, for its part, was to pull all its troops out of Lebanon but has maintained five positions it deems 'strategic' along the frontier. The Lebanese army has since deployed in those areas, where it is the only force allowed to operate alongside UN peacekeepers.


The Sun
6 hours ago
- The Sun
Poland holds tight vote with EU role at stake
WARSAW: Poles began voting on Sunday in a tight presidential election with major implications for the country's role in Europe, and for abortion and LGBTQ rights. Warsaw's pro-EU mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, 53, an ally of the centrist government, faces off against nationalist historian Karol Nawrocki, 42, with opinion polls showing that the race was too tight to call. Polls close at 9:00 pm (1900 GMT) in the EU and NATO country, which borders Ukraine and has been a key supporter of its neighbour in the war against Russia. An exit poll is expected as soon as ballots close and election officials predict that the final result will be known on Monday. A victory for Trzaskowski would be a major boost for the progressive agenda of the government led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, a former European Council president. It could mean significant social changes such as the introduction of civil partnerships for same-sex couples and an easing of the near-total ban on abortion. Presidents in Poland, a fast-growing economy of 38 million people, have the power to veto legislation and are also the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Victory for Nawrocki would embolden the populist Law and Justice (PiS) party, which ruled Poland between 2015 and 2023, and could lead to fresh parliamentary elections. Many Nawrocki supporters want stricter curbs on immigration and advocate for conservative values and more sovereignty for the country within the European Union. 'We should not give in to European pressure,' 40-year-old Agnieszka Prokopiuk, a homemaker, said ahead of the vote. 'We need to make our own way... and not succumb to trends from the West,' she told AFP in the city of Biala Podlaska in eastern Poland near the Belarus border. Tomasz Czublun, a 48-year-old mechanic, said: 'The European Union is important but the sovereignty of our country is much more important.' - Ukraine - Anna Materska-Sosnowska, a politics expert, called the election 'a real clash of civilisations' because of the wide policy differences between the candidates. Many Trzaskowski voters support greater integration within the EU and an acceleration of social reforms. Malgorzata Wojciechowska, a tour guide and teacher in her fifties, said Polish women 'unfortunately do not have the same rights as our European friends'. 'I hope that Rafal Trzaskowski will relaunch the debate on abortion so that we can finally live in a free country where we can have our own opinion,' she told AFP. The election is also being watched closely in Ukraine, which is seeking to bolster international diplomatic support in its negotiations with Russia as its resistance to Moscow's invasion grinds on. Nawrocki, an admirer of US President Donald Trump, opposes NATO membership for Kyiv and has called for curbs on benefits for the estimated one million Ukrainian refugees in Poland. He used his last campaign hours on Friday to leave flowers at a monument to Poles killed by Ukrainian nationalists during World War II. 'It was a genocide against the Polish people,' he said. The election's final result is expected to hinge on whether Trzaskowski can mobilise enough supporters and whether far-right voters will cast their ballots for Nawrocki. Far-right candidates secured more than 21 percent of the vote in the election's first round, which Trzaskowski won by a razor-thin margin of 31 percent against 30 percent for Nawrocki.


The Sun
7 hours ago
- The Sun
Nawrocki: Nationalist historian vying for Polish presidency
WARSAW: Karol Nawrocki, a nationalist historian who has written about the criminal underworld, heads into Sunday's presidential run-off tied with his opponent, pro-EU Warsaw mayor Rafal Trzaskowski. Nawrocki has been endorsed by the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party, which governed Poland from 2015 to 2023. The party is closely allied with outgoing President Andrzej Duda -- who has publicly backed Nawrocki -- and is a long-standing rival of the ruling Civic Coalition. Nawrocki campaigned under the slogan 'Poland first, Poles first'. While he has pledged to continue Poland's support for neighbouring Ukraine against Russia's invasion, he has denounced the benefits given to war refugees. He said in a campaign video in April that 'social benefits will be above all for Poles' and that 'in queues for doctors and clinics, Polish citizens must have priority'. In May, he claimed Ukraine 'has not shown gratitude for what Poles have done' and accused President Volodymyr Zelensky of 'insolence'. He opposes Ukraine's bid to join NATO. - Photos with Trump - Nawrocki is an admirer of Donald Trump and has said Poland should focus on shaping and leading Europe's relations with the US president. Nawrocki met Trump at the White House in May and claimed Trump had told him: 'You will win'. Some lawmakers from the governing coalition have accused Trump of election interference. US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem also endorsed Nawrocki when she attended a conservative conference in Poland, saying: 'He needs to be the next president.' Nawrocki has called for controls on the border with Germany to keep out migrants, and would like Berlin to pay wartime reparations to Poland. While wooing voters ahead of the razor-edge run-off, Nawrocki signed an eight-point pledge prepared by far-right leader Slawomir Mentzen. The election campaign saw Nawrocki embroiled in a series of scandals. While arguing against a property tax, he claimed to only own one flat. Later it was revealed he had acquired a second one through a convoluted deal with an elderly man. A bombshell news report also alleged he had arranged prostitutes for guests while working as a hotel security guard. Nawrocki called the accusations 'a bunch of lies' and said he would sue the news site. Born in the Baltic port city of Gdansk, Nawrocki boxed and played football in his youth before earning a PhD in history and an MBA. He served as the director of the World War II museum in Gdansk from 2017 to 2021. Since then, he has led the Institute of National Remembrance, which investigates Nazi and communist-era crimes. His research focuses on Poland's anti-communist opposition, organised crime during the communist era and sports history. Last year, Russia added Nawrocki to its wanted list for his alleged efforts to remove Soviet-era monuments in Poland. Nawrocki said he obtained a gun licence and firearm after winding up in Russia's crosshairs. - Dual identity - Nawrocki has written several books, including one under a pen name that landed him in an unusual controversy. In 2018, he secretly published a book about the communist-era gangster Nikodem Skotarczak using the pseudonym Tadeusz Batyr. That same year, a blurred and voice-altered 'Batyr' appeared on state television claiming Nawrocki had inspired the book. Nawrocki later wrote on social media that Batyr had sought his advice and 'thanked me with an interesting book, which I recommend'. But local media recently uncovered that Batyr and Nawrocki were one and the same. One TikTok user said: 'Maybe they'll substitute Batyr for Nawrocki in the runoff. In any case, the one backs the other. That's two votes already.' Political opponents seized on the revelation. Nawrocki has also faced accusations of ties to gangsters and neo-Nazis, which he has rejected as 'deep manipulation', insisting his contacts were for professional purposes. 'No one has ever heard a good word from me about Nazism,' he said. Nawrocki speaks English and still boxes in his spare time. He has said Poland needs 'a strong president for tough times'. He lives with his wife, Marta, and has two children and an adult stepson.