Starmer urges 'respect the grief of British Jews' amid calls to widen police powers ahead of pro-Palestine protests

Tory Cabinet minister Chris Philp said he would “go further than saying simply they should step back” during an interview on Saturday, telling LBC that "protests planned for today should not go ahead".

Speaking with LBC News, Mr Philp added police "don't have the capacity to both police the protest and also protect synagogues".

It comes as organisers of Saturday's pro-Palestinian demonstration planned for central London insist the rally will go ahead.

It comes despite calls from Sir Keir Starmer, Met Police Chief Sir Mark Rowley and the Home Secretary urging for it to be called-off.

In a statement on Saturday, the PM said: "I urge anyone thinking about protesting this weekend to recognise and respect the grief of British Jews."

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"This is a moment of mourning. It is not a time to stoke tension and cause further pain. It is a time to stand together.

"We are a country that welcomes all people, no matter…"

Ms Mahmood branded Thursday's protests "un-British" after more than 40 arrests were made in the wake of the terror attack.

The Prime Minister has urged protesters to “respect the grief of British Jews”, while Jewish figures have called the action “phenomenally tone deaf”.

It comes as Adam Ma'anit - a British-Israeli whose relative was murdered on October 7 - told LBC: "It's been a very difficult week for Jews as a whole, after Heaton Park as well, and we're coming up to the October 7th anniversary.

"A few days ago, we were marking the birthday of Ma'ayan, who was murdered on October 7 - she had just been celebrating her 18th birthday and the balloons from her birthday party were still up in the house when the terrorists came in and shot her dead and died in her father's arms.

"So it's been a very difficult week for us as a family, but one of the sort of silver linings, one of the sort of small glimmers of hope we've been holding on to, is that we can channel some of whatever energy we have left to fight for the remaining hostages, including our neighbour Omri, who was taken with Tsachi into captivity."

Defend Our Juries says it will still happen adding police are welcome to distribute their resources elsewhere.

The group claimed: "Cancelling peaceful protests lets terror win."

They added they "stood in solidarity" with the Jewish community over the fatal attack on a synagogie in Manchester on Thursday.

Speaking with LBC News, Mr Philp continued: "Firstly, out of respect for the families of those victims in Manchester of the appalling terrorist attack on Thursday while they're grieving, I think proceeding with protests of this kind is completely wrong.

"And secondly, the police, both in Manchester and London, have said they don't have the capacity to both police the protest and also protect synagogues.

"So for those two reasons, I do call on the organisers to call off these protests."

A similar event held by Greater Manchester Friends of Palestine, which has taken place regularly in the last two years, is also due to happen.

More than 1,500 people are expected in Trafalgar Square.

Earlier, the Prime Minister urged those attending protests this weekend to "respect the grief of British Jews".

The former home secretary Amber Rudd's told LBC she agrees with the current home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, that pro-Palestine protests at the moment are "un-British".

Writing in The Jewish Chronicle, Sir Keir said: "I urge anyone thinking about protesting this weekend to recognise and respect the grief of British Jews this week.

"This is a moment of mourning. It is not a time to stoke tension and cause further pain."

Meanwhile Israel's foreign minister Gideon Sa'ar said he had spoken to Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and urged the Government to "fight the pro-Palestinian marches and protests".

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Officers have been deployed to synagogues and other Jewish buildings to offer protection and reassurance in the aftermath of the attack.

Both the Metropolitan Police and Greater Manchester Police have raised concerns about the strain on police resources during the protests and called for organisers to cancel them.

On Friday, the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police Sir Stephen Watson urged would-be attendees at the protest to "consider whether this is really the right time".

He added: "You could do the responsible and sensitive thing and refrain, on this occasion, from protesting in a manner which is likely to add to the trauma currently being experienced by our Jewish community."

The previous two events have seen a total of 1,422 people arrested, the majority for supporting a proscribed organisation.

A Defend Our Juries spokesman said: "It couldn't be clearer that tomorrow's action, which is in Trafalgar Square and not near any synagogue, is about defying the Government's absurdly authoritarian proscription of Palestine Action and the Government's complicity in the genocide being committed by the Israeli government.

"Yesterday's attack was actual terrorism and we join others across the country in condemning it unreservedly and we urge the Home Secretary and the police to prioritise protecting the community, instead of arresting entirely peaceful protesters.

"Cancelling peaceful protests lets terror win.

"It's more important than ever to defend our democracy, including our fundamental rights to peaceful protest and freedom of speech, and to take a stand tomorrow against killing and against oppression, and for peace and justice for all."