GB News alerts for 'extraordinary' breaking news alert as host caught in protest

GB News presenter Ben Leo was left lost for words after encountering activists celebrating the October 7 terror attacks in Israel. On Tuesday (October 7), the 36-year-old broadcaster jetted across the pond to New York City, where he attended a pro-Palestine protest to mark the horror attack, where attendees proudly flew the Hamas flag. The demonstration took place on the two-year anniversary of the terror attacks in Israel, which claimed the lives of 1,200 people and led to 251 more being kidnapped and taken hostage in Gaza.

The broadcaster attended the popular demonstration in the heart of the city, where he shared live coverage from Hamas supporters, many of whom chose to hide their identities with masks over their faces. Ben described the event as "one of the most extraordinary protests I've ever been to" as he opened up about the increasingly high levels of toxicity and antisemitism taking place.

During his live coverage of the event, he was ushered over by one masked-up protester, who presented him with a flag, which the demonstrator calmly revealed was "the Hamas flag".

When Ben asked him why he was covering his face, "if you are so proud and decisive against Israel", the Hamas supporter explained: "The reason why I hide my identity is because these people like to doxx us [expose us online] and ruin our lives."

He was also surprised by one Jewish woman who told the news outlet that she felt "safer in New York as a Jew than she did in London" following Sir Keir Starmer's response to protecting the Jewish community from the pro-Palestine supporters over the past few years.

The broadcaster confessed: "For me, it is an embarrassing situation where, as a Brit, when you're speaking to Americans who are telling us that they're seeing what's going on in the UK. We're not isolated from the rest of the world, the murders, the pro-Palestine rallies, the antisemitism.

"It's not just being kept to the confines of our beautiful island; it's happening over here, and they're paying attention to it, and they are fearing for their safety when they come to London."

Pro-Palestine protesters across the UK held demonstrations on the second anniversary of the October 7 attacks in Israel, despite pleas by Starmer to cancel the "un-British" rallies. The Labour leader said the events showed "little respect for others," while Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, Kemi Badenoch, and Robert Jenrick spoke out on the issue.

The UK is seeing heightened security to protect Jewish communities after last week's deadly attack on a Manchester synagogue. Students from London universities took part in a joint march, while rallies took place across the UK in Edinburgh, Belfast, and Sheffield.

Writing in the Times, Starmer said that while some have protested against the Israeli government's actions in Gaza, "others have used this as a despicable excuse to attack British Jews for something over which they have absolutely no responsibility". He stressed that the UK would "always stand tall and united" against those seeking to harm Jewish communities.