The Metropolitan Police issued a stern call this weekend to organizers of pro-Palestinian marches, urging them to take more decisive action against the emergence of anti-Semitic banners and chants during their events.
Specifically, the Palestinian Solidarity campaign has been urged by the police to direct its stewards to promptly intervene in case of racist behaviour among participants.
Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist underscored the importance of clear communication from organisers, expecting them to articulate and reinforce the standards of behaviour expected at the rallies.
While acknowledging some efforts made on social media, Mr. Twist emphasised the necessity for organisers to do more, telling The Telegraph: “The Met has asked organisers to communicate clearly with attendees and set out expectations.
“It is clear that on social media they have done so to some extent. While organisers have made some efforts, however, we would like them to do more, to clearly call out unacceptable and potentially illegal behaviours at the events.”
Despite recognizing the majority of demonstrators as law-abiding and peaceful, Mr. Twist highlighted the consistent occurrence of offences such as hate crimes, support for proscribed organisations, and attempts at intimidation.
Moderate Muslims Called On to Address Issue
In response to these concerns, Lance Forman, a prominent member of the Jewish business community in London and former MEP, expressed scepticism and questioned the effectiveness of actions against anti-Semitism.Speaking to The Epoch Times, Mr. Forman urged moderate Muslims to collectively confront racism within their community, stressing the importance of a unified effort.
In reaction to the Metropolitan Police’s directive, Mr. Forman questioned the scope of actions against anti-Semitism, stating, “Do they mean open anti-Semitism or antisemitism in the closet? ... Moderate Muslims need to stand up and fight this racism but most are afraid to speak out as they will be targeted.”
The call for increased vigilance follows an incident on December 10 when a man carrying a banner with a Nazi slogan for the genocide of Jews was photographed during a protest. Criticism was directed at the Metropolitan Police for not apprehending the individual at the time.
In response, the police expressed shared frustrations with the public and sought assistance in identifying the man.
Regarding the incident on Dec. 10, the Metropolitan Police responded, saying, “The reality is with a protest involving 40,000 people where officers are focusing not just on placards but on crowd safety, potential disorder, and other offences there will always be some that are missed.”
Scotland Yard responded at the time by saying: “We understand why people are angry and disappointed that this man wasn’t arrested yesterday during the protest. We share those frustrations and obviously we wish he had been.
Met Showing ‘Astonishing Inability’
Mr. Forman questioned whether the police could effectively address the issue, stating, “The Met has shown an astonishing inability to manage these demonstrations.”Last week, during a home affairs select committee, independent peer John Woodcock proposed exploring a decision-making structure similar to the one used in Northern Ireland to address prolonged protests.
Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who cited government failures to address rising anti-Semitism after being dropped from her cabinet position, had previously considered banning pro-Palestine marches. However, this proposal faced disagreement within the government.
Additionally, Ms. Braverman’s concerns about rising anti-Semitism in the UK were evident in her parting shot to Rishi Sunak, where she expressed disappointment in her resignation letter regarding the government’s failure to “rise to the challenge” and pass legislation to address “hate marches.”
