BBC admits misleading public by depicting pro-Palestine rallies as 'backing for Hamas'

LONDON

The BBC admitted Monday that it misled the public about pro-Palestinian demonstrations over the weekend in the UK as what it described earlier as "backing Hamas."

"Earlier on BBC News, we reported on some of the pro-Palestinian demonstrations at the weekend. We spoke about several demonstrations across Britain during which people voiced their backing for Hamas. We accept that this was poorly phrased and was a misleading description of the pro-Palestinian demonstrations," chief presenter Maryam Moshiri said live on BBC World News.

Moshiri also shared the statement on X.

Early Monday, a news bulletin presenter while covering Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's visit to a Jewish school in London said his visit followed several demonstrations across Britain during which "people voiced their backing for Hamas, which many countries, including the UK and the US, consider a terrorist organization."

It sparked criticism on social media and was dubbed as "bias."

On Saturday, around 150,000 people in London took part in a huge rally to express solidarity with Palestinians.