TERROR PLOT TO RECRUIT PROTESTERS

Undercover agents mix with pro-Palestine marchers to seek out dangerous fanatics

- Jon Austin and Marco Giannangeli

ISLAMIC extremists are attempting to hijack pro-Palestinian rallies to radicalise a new generation of British terrorists, security sources have warned.

Senior officials believe agitators see demos and mass marches as a recruiting ground for their cause.

Up to 100,000 protesters took to the streets of London yesterday in the biggest ever pro-Palestine march on UK soil. But security experts fear the demos have been infiltrated by fanatics hellbent on poisoning innocent young minds. Undercover intelligence officers mixed with marchers yesterday as a senior peer branded the event a "festival of hatred". Plain-clothes observers kept an eagle eye on yesterday's demo, looking for known suspects and the people they target.

The team included members of the counter-terrorism unit, SAS soldiers and the Special Forces Communications wing.

They were backed by hi-tech camera devices and video teams based in a helicopter hovering above. Personnel from the Human Intelligence Unit - a highly sensitive Special Forces group were deployed to mix with protesters.

This saw two-person teams, often male and female, mingle with pro-Palestinian marchers to pass intelligence to the Counter Terrorist Command.

Secondary airborne strike groups were on standby to take to blue Augusta 109 helicopters dubbed "blue thunder" in the event of an incident.

Police made two arrests after fireworks were launched at officers in Trafalgar Square. Although overt support for Hamas has been banned, demonstrators chanted controversial slogans which have been interpreted as calling for the destruction of Israel.

In extraordinary scenes:

Fans were ordered to take down a poster commemorating two Liverpool supporters slaughtered by Hamas - as Palestinian flags were seen flying at Anfield.

A Tube driver lead a chant on the announcement system saying "free, free Palestine".