Pro-Palestinian protesters are planning a “provocative” pro-Palestinian march on Oct 7 in defiance of the…
Civil Unrest · · our city
Pro-Palestinian protesters are planning a “provocative” pro-Palestinian march on Oct 7 in defiance of the police.
Hundreds of student activists are threatening to parade through central London on Wednesday, the third anniversary of the Hamas terror attacks in which almost 1,200 Israelis were murdered.
Scotland Yard has said it is powerless to ban the march but has urged anyone planning to attend to choose a different day.
Those behind the plans have so far refused to engage with police, despite warnings about the distress the event will cause for the Jewish community.
Dept Asst Commissioner James Harman, of the Metropolitan Police, said: “For many in our city, this will be a day of mourning, a day of reflection, and we are aware of a number of vigil events being planned.”
“Serious concerns have been expressed about the impact of this march on students and staff, particularly those who are Jewish, the route, and the day it is being held.”
“We, the Met, have attempted to find and contact the student organisers to ask them to very carefully consider the impact their event will have, and to ask them to hold this event on a different day.”
Mr Harman continued: “Finding the organisers has so far proved difficult – and so I use this opportunity today to urge them to reconsider and to make contact with us urgently so that they can plan their event on a different date.”
He added: “I am also saying today to anyone who is intending to join the march – please reflect on the impact and distress it will cause on this very significant day, and exercise your right to protest on a different date.”
A ‘zero-tolerance approach’ to hate crime:
The University of London Coalition, a student-led activist group, is planning to march from King’s College in the Strand to UCL in Holborn.
Publicity posters describe how the organisers are demanding an end to what they describe as the “genocide in Gaza”.
The timing of the planned march has caused upset among the Jewish community, especially fellow students, who have warned they no longer feel safe on campus.
Mr Harman said he had written to the four universities involved to ask for their help to engage with the organisers.
He explained: “We have asked the universities to take all reasonable steps to ensure activity on their premises does not create an environment in which Jewish students or staff feel excluded, targeted or unsafe, and that they engage with their staff and students ahead of the march which is currently planned for Oct 7.”
Mr Harman said that if the march went ahead as planned, police would take a “zero-tolerance approach” to hate crime or any other forms of criminality.
A spokesman for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “Organising a march on the anniversary of the biggest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust is an outrageous provocation.”
“It is impossible not to remember how Palestine activists demonstrated on the day of the attack back in 2023 before Israel had even responded.”
“That’s because the motivation of these hate marches has always had less to do with solidarity with Gaza than with hatred for the world’s only Jewish state.”
“Almost 60 per cent of Jews would not feel comfortable disclosing their Jewish identity at university, according to our representative polling. This event will do nothing to alleviate those concerns. We are writing to several institutions, including the universities involved, to demand accountability.”
Last year, hundreds of students across Britain held Pro-Palestine protests on Oct 7, chanting “long live the intifada”, “from river to the sea, Palestine will be free” and “occupation is a crime, get your hands off Palestine”.
The march took place six days after a terror attack at Heaton Park synagogue, which caused the death of two people and the perpetrator.
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Source: @BettyBoo
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