A Metropolitan Police officer has been hailed for having the ‘patience of a saint’ after a pro-Palestine protester loudly banged a metal pot repeatedly next to his ear.

The nuisance female activist, wearing a red and white keffiyeh and face mask, was filmed smashing the silver cooking instrument with a wooden spoon dozens of times just inches away from the cop’s face.

The stoic officer, who was overseeing a chaotic rally by Left-wing demonstrators in London, was forced to put his finger in his ear to try drown out the racket.

Despite the deafening din from the clattering of the pot, and other activists loudly chanting ‘free free Palestine‘ and ‘down down occupation’, the officer refused to move, completely ignoring the woman’s relentless noisy onslaught.

A Met Police spokesman told the Daily Mail: ‘Our officers worked tirelessly for more than six hours yesterday.

‘As the extraordinary patience of the officer in this video shows, they demonstrated professionalism and carefully measured judgement throughout, even when being subjected to some unpleasant abuse and interference.’

People on social media were quick to slate the ‘annoying’ activist’s pot-bashing antics – while hailing the officer as having the ‘patience of a saint’. 

Writing on X, formerly Twitter, one person said: ‘She was doing it to provoke a reaction – he did the right thing to ignore it, she wanted to be confronted, arrested etc. The man has the patience of a saint!’ 

Another person said the woman deserved to be arrested for her actions. ‘She doesn’t need warning she needs arresting immediately,’ one man claimed on X.

‘Why do they think this is OK behaviour from anyone? She would be the first to scream if this was done to her,’ someone else added.

While a fourth person took a more blunt approach to the footage. ‘I’d shove that thing up her a**, and smack her head with the cup,’ they said. 

The footage was filmed in the capital during a rally spearheaded by militant protesters – who were last night accused of a ‘colossal’ waste of millions of pounds of taxpayers’ cash after more than 360 deliberately forced police to arrest them. 

During a day of mayhem and farce, Left-wing activists swamped Parliament Square in London on Saturday in support of outlawed organisation Palestine Action, which was proscribed by the Government last month as a terrorist group.

Hundreds held placards declaring ‘I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action’ in deliberate acts of law-breaking designed to overwhelm police resources and the courts.

By 6pm police had arrested 365 people for supporting a proscribed organisation and seven others, including five for assaulting police officers.

More than 850 officers were deployed on the huge operation, including 120 drafted in to bolster the Met from Wales, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Cheshire.

Officers endured a torrent of abuse as they made arrests, with demonstrators screaming ‘shame on you’, ‘terrorists’ and ‘fascist scum’. Violent scuffles broke out as officers attempted to lead those arrested away. The Met said that none of its officers was seriously injured.

The cost comes on top of the more than £53 million that the Met has already spent policing pro-Palestine protests in central London since the October 7 attacks against Israel in 2023. 

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp estimated the police operation and subsequent legal costs to prosecute those arrested, including court time and legal aid, could cost taxpayers up to £3 million.

Speaking to The Mail on Sunday, Mr Philp said: ‘When you take into account the policing costs today and how much lengthy prosecutions and court processes will cost, the final bill for today’s idiotic stunt could be as much as £3 million. This is money that could have been spent catching drug dealers, gang members, phone thieves and shoplifters.

‘Those supporting a banned organisation should feel the full force of the law. Palestine Action is a violent group that seeks to impose its views on others through force. They smash up property, vandalise RAF planes and have even attacked a police officer with a sledgehammer.

‘Those illegally supporting Palestine Action are supporting political violence.’

To prevent London’s police cells from being overwhelmed, the Met established a so-called ‘prisoner- processing point’ in nearby King Charles Street.

Under three gazebos, arrested activists were asked for their names and addresses and had their fingerprints taken. They were then bailed and told to return to a police station at a future date.