Niamh Harris – The pro Palestine demonstrations in London on Rememberance Sunday, have given the UK Government the excuse they need to clamp down on protests.
UK British prime Rishi Sunak says he wants to bolster protest laws and give police more power to ban marches following the Armistice Day chaos.
Sounds like a classic case of problem, reaction, solution.
The Mail Online reports: Pro-Palestine rallies yesterday were marred by anti-Semitic placards that mirrored those used in Nazi propaganda during the 1930s, while video emerged on social media of an ugly brawl breaking out in Trafalgar Square while police in riot gear stood by and watched.
The Met Police has drawn up a list of activists and counter protesters it is hunting for including a woman who was filmed yelling ‘death to all Jews’, two men pictured wearing HAMAS headbands, a group of four who called pro Palestine protesters ‘terrorist c***s’ and a woman carrying a Nazi swastika sign.
Suella Braverman (who was sacked as Home Secretary on Monday morning) caused controversy after her bombshell comments accusing police of ‘playing favorites’ ahead of the 300,000-strong protest through central London’s streets calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Critics blamed the Cabinet minister for inflaming the situation by branding the pro-Palestinian protest a ‘hate march’. However, supporters insist she was proved right by the violence.
Now the Prime Minister appears to be making moves to tighten up protest laws and has targeted five key areas.
The Home Secretary waded in again following the chaotic and unsavory scenes on Armistice Day hours after Britain fell silent to remember the war dead.
Ms. Braverman warned the ‘valorization of terrorism’ at weekly pro-Palestinian protests ‘can’t go on’ as she slammed ‘hate, violence, and anti-Semitism’.
Mr. Sunak appears to be making moves to tighten up protest laws with ministers also reportedly looking to find ways to restrict the ‘river from the sea’ chant – which has been seen by many as a wish to see Israel wiped out from the map.
According to The Sun, Mr. Sunak has targeted five areas to close up loopholes including lowering the threshold for when police deem marches and protests as unsafe and clarifying the law on glorifying terrorists.
SF Source The People’s Voice Nov 2023