Although there is a little more behind the post synagogue stroll, (for which I don't blame him and appreciate his reasons) this is beyond outrageous.
(I thought about posting on Jewish MN to say being openly Jewish or covertly Jewish, is your absolute right, but wasn't sure it was helpful.)
So I'm saying it here: please be openly Jewish, or as I am, openly what ever ethnicity or religion you happen to be.
How dare the MET suggest being "openly" of one's faith or ethnicity at the 'wrong' moment' be an issue? It isn't a dirty little secret, and 'we' shouldn't have to hide who 'we' are because another group are infuriated by the existence of others. It's either safe to exist 'openly' in multi cultural London, or it isn't.
A long, long, old time ago (I hope others may be able to place and name this) in London, I think alongside the Thames (?) reasonably near parliament (?) there was a protest about police racist behavior, and a lot of police lined up to control protestors, when Black protesters spotted a Black officer in the police ranks. The cry of "Babylon!" went up. Hundreds against one man. One man who dared to exist at the wrong moment.
From my POV if police are a necessary evil, lets have a police force that represents us all.
So although I was actually good with the protest, I was also impressed with the police at that moment. Because, they closed ranks and automatically protected that Black officer whose sheer presence was infuriating protestors. Because he had as much right to be there as the protesters did. Once upon a time, many years ago, this was the Met...