Is the penny finally starting to drop about anti semitism and hate marches?

[mids2019]

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/may/04/starmer-c al l-society-response-rising-antisemitism

I think we are now seeing the cumulative impact of the anti senitism that has built up over the last 3 years where there has been a permissive environment with politicians hesitant to intervene in events in the streets that have incubated anti Jew sentiment.

All political parties apart from the hate apologist Greens are now waking up to the fact we need better policing and perhaps legislation. I for one will acting a vote for a party that recognises hate marches for what they are and also willing to tackle the vile posts appearing on social media (and Labour have reacted too late too little). Enough is enough for a Jewish community that lives in perpetual fear.

The huge list of pro-Palestinian protests in the United Kingdom:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pro-Palestinian_protests_in_the_United_Kingdom

Yes 👍
I used that wiki source you linked for my breakdown

I don't really see the point you're making? There have been hundreds of demonstrations (not all in London).

You said the marches are
’almost every weekend’

worthwhile then showing actually how many as not ‘almost every weekend’
I noted London as they have the most

Others as you say. Yes of course

This year there were two others, both static. One in Belfast and one in Hampshire
In 2025 there were 12. Some of just a few people and not demonstrations, some sit ins and two at U.K. prisons

Total demonstrations
in all of the U.K. since and including all of the year 2023
including walk outs, sit ins, demos in prisons, just a few people holding placards etc
= 133

Large number demonstrations, since and including 2023, of 1000 plus people across the U.K. when the figures are given
= 33

Not hundreds then either
It’s important to get the correct facts out there I believe. To avoid exaggeration

glad we are using the same data though

I can't be bothered to go through all the data but if you say there are 133 demonstrations since October 23 that still seems a lot, though I do accept your point that it is actually not almost every weekend. That is a number that I have read and believed so thank you for pointing out that I was too quick to believe something I read & it is "only" 133 demonstrations/marches since Oct 23.

Still a lot and while you would expect the number to be falling steeply now there is a ceasefire, we have already this year seen quite a few demonstrations or marches including three that had over 50,000 protestors (all in London) on 31st January, 28th March and 16th May and a further two that had over 5,000 protestors on 7th March and 11th April (also all in London).

You know Twiglets I’m just pointing out your comments exaggerate the true facts

You even posted the same source as me
At least I could be bothered to count
Not just say
‘almost every weekend’ and
‘hundreds’

Neither of those comments are factually true

Worth keeping things factual, since we actually have the information
I think

Yes I have acknowledged that on this occasion my comment did exaggerate the true facts, this is not something I did on purpose but after you pointed it out, I was happy to accept that you were right. I don't know what more you want?

I often point out others misinformation on this board and they normally just go quiet and don't acknowledge that I have proved them wrong. I own my mistakes and will not say "almost every weekend" now I know that to be an exaggeration.

One of the scary things is that antizionism isn't just acceptable, it's seen as righteous by the hard left. There is definitely a performative purity spiral attached to it which I think bypasses critical thinking and nuance because dissent is shot down so viciously.

I don’t know much about bots but I did that they were more sophisticated than that. But even amplifying certain content has potential to significantly alter the news/ messages people get and their opinion/ behaviour.

Try this article

https://www.icuc.social/resources/blog/influence-of-social-media-bots

Yes - that Iran uses bots comes as no surprise?

There are propaganda networks that work with Israel too aren’t there? They have spoken openly about the amount of money they are spending to influence opinion.

I guess this what @Ellen2shoes was referring to- being aware of those trying to influence us and drive division- not matter who funds them.

The debate about bots - what can bots really do though beyond performing very basic functions such as sharing posts or "liking" posts in favour of Israel?

God you can do loads with bots. Twitter is full of them. They'll search out any post with certain trigger words in then post relevant replies. They can engage with posts en-masse which boosts them in the algorithm so more people see them. Loads of accounts are just fake, posting regular propaganda crap.

Of course it's not all AI though, there are farms of people whose job it is to engage with people and post propaganda.

The cumulative affect of these demos and marches is to create a climate of fear for British Jews, as Jews are cast as the bad guys.

I think it's possible that Jews will start to leave the UK, which is what's happening in France, where thousands have left. Despite the government telling us what a successful multicultural society we are, Jews are increasingly hiding signs of their identity.

It's very sad and I wish the demonstrators would think about that aspect a bit more. I used to go on pro Palestine demos years ago. But I wouldn't go on one now because of this.

Yes, agreed, the noise and rhetoric from the hard left (and the not so hard left) is combining with the rise of Islamist extremism to create the attacks on the Jewish community which we've seen over the last year.

I'm not surprised that some are wondering if they have a future in the UK.

Thank you for the link; it shows the multitude of botways but it’s also important to remember how hate can be spread more widely from that source. Younger introduced me to awareness of the ‘ragebait’ avenue. Again quick google as time saving:
Rage bait is online content—like inflammatory videos, fake news, or absurd opinions—deliberately designed to make viewers angry. The goal is to provoke a strong emotional reaction so users will comment, share, and argue. This outrage drives massive engagement, which platforms and creators monetize through ad revenue and algorithms.

Look at much of UK media at being guilty of this too.

This. I don’t get why so many on the left seem to think the extreme behaviour and hate speech emanating from some of the UK Muslim community and their supporters is ok.

I don’t understand it either.

i Know I said it upthread but I don’t understand why they think uk Jews are responsible for the atrocities another country is carrying out.
I just keep thinking it. It makes no sense.

it has no place in our country. Protest the regime, but don’t bring it to uk residents.

It’s awful that people have to feel consequences for showing their faith whether they be Jewish, Muslim, Sikh.

Most Muslims will not support the terrorism directed towards other, particularly having been victims of racism too.

Starmer/ Labour should be vocal on all forms of racism

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/government-condemned-inaction-anti-sikh-hate-crimes-after-attack-two-elderly-men

I agree. This isn't a left vs right issue nor a anti semitism vs Islamophobia issue.
You can just as easily argue, as many people have that 'the left' is antisemitic as you can that 'the right' are racist against Muslims or brown people in general.
This is reductive, disingenous and just plain wrong in reality.

All forms of racism and prejudice are wrong and should be given equal weight.
I don't think that any of this means that all the marches, from 'left' to 'right' (hate these terms being used to describe them) should be banned. The UK may not be democratic nowadays but it's a slippery slope to blanket ban freedom of expression.

Communal groups and figures from across the political spectrum have attacked Sir Sadiq Khan – who oversees the Metropolitan Police – for what they claim is inaction and seeming indifference to repeated calls for violence against Jews and Israelis at anti-Israel protests since October 7, 2023.

There were chants of “intifada” and “death to the IDF” at Saturday’s Nakba Day march, as well as signs saying “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” – a slogan which the prime minister has previously told the JC he considers to be antisemitic.

One speaker addressing the protesters called Zionism a “cancer”.

At Westminster Synagogue, located close to the march route, Shabbat service attendance fell as congregants chose to avoid the potentially hostile crowds.

www.thejc.com/news/politics/sadiq-khan-is-failing-us-on-hate-marches-say-jewish-community-leaders-hun7qrmv

I guess we should also know the mayor’s response

A spokesperson for the Mayor of London told the JC: “The Mayor is determined to stamp out antisemitism and all other hate crime in our city – not only by ensuring the police take a zero-tolerance approach to these crimes, but by continuing to fund in record amounts and support community-led groups to challenge and stand up to antisemitism.
“The freedom to protest is a democratic right but the mayor has been consistent, it must be lawful, peaceful and safe and there is no place for spreading hate. The mayor fully supports the police taking a zero-tolerance approach to anyone using the cover of protest to push antisemitism or any other hate crime. Sadiq has been supportive of the police in their response to the chant ‘globalise the intifada’ – and clear that action will be taken against anyone breaking the law.
“The mayor has also long been clear that if there is uncertainty about which chants cross legal thresholds, if it causes distress or is offensive to Jewish people – if it makes our fellow Jewish friends, colleagues and neighbours scared – it should not be used. Respect for one another must remain the foundation of London life.
“There is absolutely no place in our city for promoting hatred and spreading fear. As Londoners, we must reject all those who seek to sow division and discord in our communities and pull together so that we can continue building a better London for everyone.”

And that the Metropolitan Police were also contacted for comment.

The Met police have previously arrested people for this- so not sure why they didn’t this time:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cde65de81jgo

There will need to be a change in law to make some statements more explicitly illegal - I think that maybe part of the problem? Otherwise as the mayor said - language should be used respectfully.

Glad to hear that Sadiq Khan has also hardened his stance against antisemitism and "fully supports the police taking a zero-tolerance approach to anyone using the cover of protest to push antisemitism or any other hate crime".

While he has previously said that the River to the Sea chant is not antisemitic, he now at least acknowledges that "if there is uncertainty about which chants cross legal thresholds, if it causes distress or is offensive to Jewish people – if it makes our fellow Jewish friends, colleagues and neighbours scared – it should not be used".

Quite.

Trouble is, demographic changes mean that the Jewish community will be increasingly outnumbered as time goes on. This is what's happened in France where thousands of French Jews have left already and the numbers leaving has accelerated in recent years.

It would be nice to think we can all live together in multicultural harmony. But for many people this is not the case.