Palestine protesters hit out after police block London march from starting near synagogue
10 January 2025, 08:15
Police have blocked a pro-Palestine protest from taking place near a London synagogue - causing activists to hit out at their "repressive" powers.
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The Palestine Solidarity Campaign had planned to gather in front of the BBC's Broadcasting House in central London ahead of the march next Saturday, January 18.
Police said that the march would cause serious disruption to Shabbat services at a nearby synagogue if participants were allowed to gather there.
The Central Synagogue on Great Portland Street is only a few hundred metres from Broadcasting House.
The PSC said that they "utterly condemned” the police's use of “repressive powers”.
In a previous statement they rejected the implication that their marches were somehow "hostile to or a threat to Jewish people".
“The Met police have acknowledged there has not been a single incident of any threat to a synagogue attached to any of the marches."
Ben Jamal, the group's leader, said that they hold marches on Saturday because transport is worse on Sunday. "The police are effectively stopping us from staging pro-Palestine protests outside the BBC," he said.
A group of Jewish Holocaust survivors and their descendants wrote a letter opposing the police block.
They added: "Along with thousands of other openly Jewish protesters, we have attended numerous Palestine demos in London and have received nothing but support and warmth from our fellow demonstrators."
Commander Adam Slonecki, who is leading the policing operation in London on the weekend of January 18, said: “The role of the police is to ensure that groups can exercise their right to peaceful protest, while also balancing the rights of those in the wider community to go about their lives without serious disruption.
“It is not our role to give permission for protests, but we can use our powers under the Public Order Act to apply conditions to control start and finish times, routes, form up points and other details where necessary. Since October 2023 we have used these powers proactively on more occasions than at any other point in recent history.
“We have been in discussions with the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) and also with community, business and faith groups for many weeks.
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“We have carefully considered the likely impact of the PSC’s plans. As part of those considerations we have reflected on the views of local community and business representatives, including those of the congregation at a synagogue located a very short distance from the proposed ‘form up’ point in Portland Place.
“We have taken into account the cumulative impact of this prolonged period of protest, often taking place on Saturdays and on numerous occasions in the vicinity of synagogues. We know this has been a cause of increased concern for many Jewish Londoners who have altered their plans, avoided parts of central London and reduced attendance at religious services.
“On Tuesday, I wrote to the PSC to inform them that we have reached the view that a protest forming up so close to a synagogue on a Saturday – the Jewish holy day – when congregants will be attending Shabbat services, risks causing serious disruption.
“We police without fear or favour and this decision was taken based on a detailed consideration of the evidence, not any outside influence."
They added: “We had hoped that the PSC would reflect on our decision and on the likely impact of their plans on the wider community, however they have said they will not change their position, continuing to encourage protesters to form up in Portland Place.
“In those circumstances we have no choice but to use the powers available to us. We will continue to engage with the PSC and we hope they will rethink and put forward an alternative proposal in the coming days.”
