Joint Statement from the Metropolitan Police and the Greater Manchester Police

[Twiglets1]

Joint Statement from the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police.

We begin by acknowledging the horrific terrorist attack in Australia, where Jews were deliberately targeted whilst enjoying the Hanukkah celebrations. Our thoughts are with those who lost their lives, their families and those injured. Coming so soon after the Heaton Park Synagogue attack in Manchester and amid rising antisemitism globally, this is deeply alarming. Jewish communities across London, Greater Manchester, and the rest of the United Kingdom are already worried and scared - and this only adds to it.

Antisemitic hate crime has surged, protests have intensified, and online abuse has grown since 2023. These trends create real fear and disrupt daily life – and have an impact on how safe the Jewish community feel when attending synagogues and other communal spaces. Jewish children attend schools behind fences, guarded by security and routine police patrols. No community should have to live like this. That must change.

The two recent terror attacks targeting Jews, the increased fear in Jewish communities, and high number of terrorist attacks disrupted in recent years requires an enhanced response. Current laws are inadequate, and we welcome the fact that the Home Secretary has asked Lord Ken Macdonald KC to review the current public order and hate crime legislation.

The words and chants used, especially in protests, matter and have real world consequences. We have consistently been advised by the CPS that many of the phrases causing fear in Jewish communities don’t meet prosecution thresholds. Now, in the escalating threat context, we will recalibrate to be more assertive.

We know communities are concerned about placards and chants such as “globalise the intifada” and those using it at future protest or in a targeted way should expect the Met and GMP to take action. Violent acts have taken place, the context has changed - words have meaning and consequence. We will act decisively and make arrests.

Frontline officers will be briefed on this enhanced approach. We will also use powers under the Public Order Act, including conditions around London synagogues during services.

Visible patrols and protective security measures around synagogues, schools, and community venues have been stepped up in London and Greater Manchester. We are intensifying investigations into hate crime, and Counter Terrorism Policing continues to operate 24/7 to identify and disrupt threats.

These measures are practical and immediate - designed to keep communities safe, deter intimidation, and enforce the law. Our intent is clear: create a hostile environment for offenders and a safer environment for Jewish communities, while protecting lawful protest. All members of society have a responsibility to consider their impact on others – it is possible to protest in support of Palestinian people without intimidating Jewish communities or breaking the law.

We want you to hear this clearly: we see you, we hear you, and we stand with you. Your safety and wellbeing matter to all of us. Please keep talking to us and to each other; report incidents promptly; and make use of our dedicated neighbourhood teams.

Hanukkah reminds us that light endures, even in the darkest times. We will continue to work night and day to keep you safe.

news.met.police.uk/news/joint-statement-from-the-commissioner-of-the-metropolitan-police-and-the-chief-constable-of-greater-manchester-police-504494

Does intifada just mean uprising? How is it different to calling Free Palestine? And as @TeenagersAngst says up thread If the CPS don’t also change their approach, what are people going to be arrested for? If prosecution thresholds still fail to be met, it will just be a performative cycle of arresting people and releasing them.???

Of course nobody should live in fear and the slaughter at bondi was sickening and horrific. I don’t really see the sense in this.

The police statement has been posted by other people on other threads on other boards.

There are some posters who never seem to leave the CITME board (unless they name change) and haven’t commented on the threads in Chat or AIBU about the attack on Jews in Australia. I feel they should know that this antisemitic language could lead to arrest now, seeing as people using them (like Bob Vylan for example) have been defended on this board in the past.

I don’t think many people object to peaceful protests against our government’s alleged complicity in wars like the one in Gaza. What we do object to is people with a hate filled agenda hijacking the cause to scream about killing Israeli soldiers or calling for uprisings against Jews across the world.

Intifada means uprising and in the context it is used at protests about Gaza it calls for uprisings against Jews across the world.

The CPS have said they will work with the police on this issue.

You may not see the sense in it but many people have had enough of the rife antisemitism allowed to spread in the UK, in Australia & across the world. The war in Gaza is not a reason to blame all Jews everywhere and to make them feel afraid.

I think if you limited protest to those wishing a two state solution or review of the proportionality of the Israeli response in the recent conflict you would actually get very few at these hate marches. I think we are now in a position to see what these protests truly are and the police are now belatedly cracking down on those protest Ord that are willingly spreading anti senitism and advocating harm against Jews.

Hopefully now virtue signalling celebs and naieve students will really look at their participation in the pro Palestinian movement and see how dangerous some of their antics are.

I agree, @mids2019 . Those marches were every week at one point, increasingly hostile and intimidating. I'm not even Jewish and found some of the placards and chanting offensive and intimidating. It's certainly enabled hate to escalate.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce86z84e947o

Maybe instead of the hate chants we can look at this time of year to those who look to leave in all communities.

@mids2019 I agree it could be a wake up call to some, I hope so anyway.

I’m an optimistic and tend to assume that most people who tolerate seeing & hearing this sort of antisemitic language on protests or at music festivals are misguided rather than evil. They won’t see themselves as racist because they wouldn’t be racist in any other context apart from tolerating- possibly encouraging- racist language used against Jews. Somehow that’s different because “Gaza” but the same people rightly wouldn’t blame any other group for wars/conflicts their governments are involved in.

But I’m glad that the police are finally taking a stand and Kier Starmer is echoing the sentiment that we need to get tougher about this.

From the river to the sea is calling for one state so I think you might be right @mids2019 that if the protests could somehow be limited to people who want a 2 state solution, that would cut the more extreme element out.

Impossible to enforce this though.

I think the rise in nationalism and racism across the world is very scary and I agree that nobody should be inciting hate. I instinctively, like most people am wary of curtailing free speech. I think that’s especially true when tensions are already running high and in the wake of such an awful attack. It must be true that very many people worldwide would like to stop the subjugation and slaughter of the Palestinians in Gaza and that people marching are united in their desire for the world to rise up and come together to put pressure on Netanyahu and Israel to stop. Banning particular phrases is not going to stop people’s opinion, and if it is the opinion that is offensive then that is what should be addressed. Protest is not intimidation, and if any people are feeling intimidated (and people really really are) then we should be focusing on why that is. If our police force are unable to keep any group safe then that is the issue.

Then maybe we have really consider a ban on the protests in some instances where it simply cannot be guaranteed you won't have the majority of marchers calling for the destruction of the Jewish state or Jews themselves? Peaceful protest is a right but I think we are now seeing in the post conflict world that these protests were always far from peaceful in intent. Everyone knew this but maybe we are in a climate where the police can really crack down.

Good.

Perhaps nitpicky and off topic, but I find the overuse of 'community' in any context a bit othering. It is more humanising and hits harder if you replace 'community' with 'people'.

"Jewish communities people across London, Greater Manchester, and the rest of the United Kingdom are already worried and scared - and this only adds to it."

"it is possible to protest in support of Palestinian people without intimidating Jewish communities people or breaking the law."

You’re right. It does seem more powerful to acknowledge that it is individual people who are feeling worried and scared not the less personal sounding “communities”.

Personally I feel like peaceful protests should continue but the police should be cracking down more on the racist types that are always drawn to protests with a hidden agenda. Or not so hidden in the case of Gaza where thousands of participants have somehow become deaf to what certain phrases mean.

Do you think all young conscripts in the Israeli army deserve to be killed? Do you want a one state solution? Do you want uprisings against Jews across the world?

If the answer’s No then stop turning a blind eye to what the placards and chants are actually calling for.

Agree.

I feel people shouldn’t be able to cover their faces at these marches. We have all seen some pretty intimidating images.I’m pleased the police have issued this statement.

I think it’s possible to protest or even just discuss or disagree, without seeking to intimidate anyone. I think if you feel intimidated then it is important not to let that rule your response. Might is not always right and we should all hold on to the idea that speaking our truth is an obligation not just a nice to have.

Speaking “our truth” is not an obligation if “our truth” happens to be racist. It becomes something you can get arrested for.

Your post seems to imply that it’s the fault of the people feeling intimidated by large crowds with antisemitic chants & placards if they feel intimidated … hoping that’s not what you meant.

I think if you limited protest to those wishing a two state solution or review of the proportionality of the Israeli response in the recent conflict you would actually get very few at these hate marches

Agreed. I'm appalled at what is happening in Gaza and to the Palestinian people. However there is no way I would ever join one of the protests because they are not about a 2 state solution, they are Anti Semitic and full of hatred.

I'm really pleased those police forces have called the anti-Semitism out for what it is. Hopefully it will make people think twice before blindly supporting a cause without looking deeper into what it actually is.

Good and I hope West Midlands police do the same. Some of the chants at the Birmingham marches were abhorrent.

Looking back, I wonder if the insistence on continuing to march after the Yom Kippur attack didn't do the protesters more harm than good. Feels like a bit of a watershed moment. Either way, they did this to themselves.

It showed a complete lack of empathy and proved they were not occupying the moral high ground they thought they were.

There was a march in Manchester that very evening after the attack. Unbelievable.

Resistance to a state committing abhorrent and grave crimes against humanity isn’t racist. Even if arrested and charged they’re unlikely to be convicted because the chants all have political meanings, they fundamentally criticise the state of Israel and the Zionist ideology, which I’m afraid isn’t antisemitic.

I wonder if the UK & other countries will follow the example of Australia in introducing tougher hate speech laws after the Bondi terror attack.

The Australian prime minister conceded he could have done more to tackle antisemitism in Australia following Hamas's attack on Israel on 7/10.

Australia's 5 point plan to tackle hate speech:

New powers to reject visas for people who ‘spread hate and division’
Stronger penalties for people who spread hate speech, including a crackdown on religious preachers who promote violence
A taskforce to oversee the education system’s response to anti-Semitism
New online safety advice to curb online anti-Semitism
Education minister will lead reforms to tackle racism on university campuses

No I DO think we have an obligation to speak up even if what we say isn’t well received. I’m not sure how it helps development and growth to hide your opinions and beliefs. In an ideal world which is what we should be working towards we should be free to express our opinions and those opinions should not intimidate anyone.
To be clear I myself am intimidated by large crowds and shouting people. I’d rather they didn’t. Peaceful protest and calling for change does not have to be like that. I feel uncomfortable with the tightening of what we can and can’t protest. I think many people do.

I don't know, @Twiglets1 . I think that education would certainly help as well. Some people don't really seem to understand what the issues are at all, which is why it's been reduced to meaningless slogans and incorrect assertions.