'They didn't do a single thing!': Antisemitism campaigner said Met did not stop abusive man when threatening him with arrest

21 April 2024, 21:05

An antisemitism campaigner who was threatened with arrest for being 'openly Jewish' at a pro-Palestine protest has told LBC that police did not stop a demonstrator from abusing him and threatening to follow him around at the march.

Gideon Falter, chief executive of the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) told LBC's Rachel Johnson that a pro-Palestine protestor had shouted abuse at him while police were surrounding him in now-viral footage.

Despite being told that the man called him a "Nazi" and "scum" while police were within earshot, the officers only said that the abusive marcher was "not having a very productive conversation with the gentleman are you?"

Gideon was appearing on LBC after footage of him wearing a kippah skullcap and carrying a bag with his prayer shawl while being told by a Met Police sergeant that his presence at the pro-Palestine rally in London could inflame tensions.

In the exchange, the officer can be heard saying to him: “You are quite openly Jewish. This is a pro-Palestinian march. I am not accusing you of anything but I am worried about the reaction to your presence.”The force later apologised describing the comments “hugely regrettable”.

Read More: Braverman calls for Met Police Commissioner to be sacked over force's poor treatment of British Jews at protests

Read More: Sir Alan Duncan should be using language judiciously instead of parroting narratives used to hurt Jews for decades

Speaking to Rachel on Sunday, Gideon said: "You see laws being consistently flouted in front of police - and I actually saw that in my altercation.

"I was surrounded by police and I was threatened with arrest and being told to clear off out of the area.

"There were people right next to me shouting 'scum, scum, scum', 'Nazi', 'disgusting' and 'lock him up'.

"There was one guy who came right up to me and he said I am not afraid of your effing people.

"He said 'I am going to follow you around and record your movements. Not because I support you - because I oppose you.'"

Gideon continued: "I'd done nothing to this man other than being Jewish in his presence. And there was a police officer right there - and they didn't do a single thing."

After the police gave the response about the abuse being unproductive, Gideon said that the protestor told the officer he "ain't broke no laws" and that he was just going for a walk.

Mr Falter said he thought: "Wait a second, that's me.

"How come that line works for the man who just bare-face threatened me but not for me?"

Gideon has joined former Home Secretary Suella Braverman in calling for Met Police Commissioner to be sacked for the way his force has treated Jews over six months of pro-Palestine protests.

Gideon said: Sir Mark Rowley has had six months to get a grip of this.

If this happened soon after what started this you might understand it's a fumble by the Met trying to navigate its way through something complicated. But it's been six months."

Gideon Falter 'doesn't blame the front line officers' for how The Met treated him

Despite the calls for root and branch change at the Met, Gideon said he does not blame the specific frontline officers involved in his altercation.

The leading antisemitism campaigner said: "The change that we are looking for has got to come from the top of The Met which keeps putting their frontline officers in impossible situations."

The Prime Minister slammed the Metropolitan Police after footage of Mr Falter being threatening with arrest at a pro-Palestine rally last Saturday - saying he is “appalled” at the incident which was filmed and shared online.

Downing Street has failed to back Sir Mark Rowley, amid growing calls for him to resign from prominent politicians, The Telegraph reports.