TEL AVIV, June 30, 2011 (WAFA) - Dozens of Islamic activists and political figures demonstrated Thursday in front of the British Embassy in Tel Aviv, to protest Wednesday’s arrest in London of Raed Salah, the leader of the Islamic movement’s northern branch in Israel.

British authorities had arrested Salah on Wednesday from the London hotel where he was staying, under the pretext of illegal entry into the UK.

The protesters carried signs condemning the arrest as “arbitrary” and asking for Salah’s immediate release.

Spokesman of the Islamic movement, Saleh Lutfi, said, “we understand the size of the conspiracy by the Israeli government against the Palestinians in general and their leaders inside the 1948 areas [Israel] in particular.”

A letter of protest was delivered to the British ambassador, asking for the immediate and unconditional release of Salah.

Knesset member Mohammad Baraka and other Arab leaders participated in the demonstration.

F.J.