Fury as anti-Semitism march in London is axed over safety fears
AN anti-Semitism demo in London was called off last night after organisers received ‘numerous threats’.
The decision was taken amid claims that police could not guarantee the safety of marchers. Thousands had been expected to attend the event organised by the Campaign
Against Antisemitism to coincide with a pro-Palestinian march and one coordinated by a pro-Israel group.
But the CAA said it had cancelled Walk Together after receiving threats and identifying ‘ hostile actors’ who posed possible risks.
Its chief executive, Gideon Falter, had encouraged Jews and allies to join him walking the route of the pro-Palestine march in London so as to ‘ force the police to make sure that these things are safe for Jewish people’.
He was threatened with arrest at a pro-Palestinian demonstration earlier this month, with one officer describing Mr Falter, who was wearing a kippah, as ‘openly Jewish’.
The CAA refused to provide further detail about the nature of the warnings it had received.
But a spokesman said: ‘We have received numerous threats and our monitoring has identified hostile actors who seem to have intended to come to any meeting locations that we announced. We have reluctantly decided not to go ahead tomorrow.’
Jewish Conservative MP Andrew Percy said the development was shocking but no surprise.
‘From the very first pro-Palestine march we have seen Jew hate and people calling for the deaths of Jews and more besides,’ he said. ‘Yet again by the police allowing these marches to go ahead they are failing the Jewish community and Londoners more generally.’
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign will today hold its 12th demonstration in central London since the October 7 Hamas terror attack against Israel. The cost of policing these events so far stands at around £38.5million.
It has involved roughly 45,000 Scotland Yard officer shifts as well as 9,600 from neighbouring forces, Met assistant commissioner Matt Twist said.
The force has had to cancel 6,400 rest days to meet the demand.
Mr Twist said there had been 415 arrests, including 193 for antiSemitic offences, the majority of which involved placards, chanting or expressions of hate speech.
There have also been 15 terrorism-related arrests, primarily on suspicion of supporting proscribed organisations, notably Hamas.
‘The cumulative impact of such a lengthy period of sustained significant protests is felt widely, but it has been the particular cause of fear and uncertainty in Jewish communities,’ Mr Twist said.
He said mass protests could be banned if there was a risk of serious public disorder but the proPalestine demonstrations had not come close to this threshold.
Met commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has come under pressure to take a tougher line on the protests.
The PSC protest will begin at midday in Parliament Square and proceed along Whitehall, Piccadilly and Park Lane before concluding in Hyde Park. Ben Jamal, director of the group, said public opinion was in favour of an immediate ceasefire in Gaza but it was necessary to continue to push the political establishment to take heed of their demands.
‘Since October, millions of people have joined our national and local demonstrations, putting the pressure on politicians to change their stances and end complicity with Israel’s crimes,’ he added.
‘Expressions of hate speech’