Rally in London today

[gingergran]

It occurred to me that if there were actually 300,000 people demonstrating in London today that is more than the whole of the Jewish population in the UK. A little worrying…

They're protesting Israel's violence against the people of Gaza. Not everything is anti semitic. If no one speaks up for the people of Gaza, there is not a chance that this genocide will stop.

I was in London- not at the rally, and there was no sign of anything bar a lot of police- it was heaving. Many of those at the rally were the usual day out suspects protesting at they’re not sure what. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12729893/students-protest-palestinians-not-seen-proof-hamas-invasion-israel-october.html

I spent the afternoon with Mandy Patinkin who sang ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow’ in yiddish and explained it written about the pogroms.
https://www.kveller.com/mandy-patinkin-yiddish-somewhere-over-the-rainbow-is-everything/

I get that the idea of 300k people seems worrying but once you realise on a football weekend Wembley alone holds 90k fans. The other big football clubs hold 60k ish. Then 300k is way way less than people just going to watch football at the weekend all over London.

Also coaches were lining up to get into London for the protest from all over the country. So a large percentage are scattered around the country and the worst offenders are probably better behaved when they haven't got the masses to back them up.

What is more of an issue is that now Jewish people are trapped between the Islamic extremists, very left and the far right. None of which exactly have are best interests at heart. So that is very dangerous and I don't think there is much we can do. I only see that situation getting worse in the next few months.

@Lamelie the girls in that video! I'm really quite shocked at the level of ignorance. The one on the left seems dangerously close to suggesting it's a lie.

It’s incredible isn’t it. I wonder how many don’t think the same.

Mandy Patinkin gave my favourite quote: 'I do not think that word means what you think it means'.

I feel like using it a lot on mumsnet.

Stay safe. You have more friends than enemies.

Some of the footage i have seen is so terrifying. The young girl screaming on camera 'Kill all Jews'. The placards.

It is anti semitism.. I am not sure why the PP cannot even see that.

I’m also really alarmed at both the BBC and Guardian describing the marches as pro Palestine. I know they are but at least a few days they were pretending marches for ceasefire.

It really is. I just saw a clip on twitter of a man at the march shouting that Hitler had the right idea. The subtle, coded antisemitism of the past 75 years seems to be over and we're now back to the plain old violent kind. Terrifying to see it on the streets of the UK in 2023.

There is no pretence now on these demonstrations that it is anti-Israel it is anti-Jiewsh plain and simple

I know a lot of people that went to the London march. It was a peaceful protest for humanity with people from all backgrounds and religions (including Jewish people). Obviously you are going to have the minority who spoil it but considering the thousands that were there it is exactly that a minority.
The current actions of the Israeli government are horrific and the vast majority care about all human lives. To suggest the marches are anti Semitic is far from the truth. They are a criticism of the Israeli government and its current actions as well as our government for standing by and frankly encouraging a genocide.

I live in London they withheld the truth from you or have a blind spot when it comes to antisemitism. Not everyone on the marches but enough to make the marches a bit of a cesspit experience for the average Londoners or/and Jewish people in general.

@Rachna83 i would respectfully suggest that you do not know what anti semitism is and you are clearly not Jewish. Coming onto our section and essentially telling us we do not know or understand what we are living through and experiencing right now is quite nauseating.

My response was regarding the marches themselves being anti Semitic. If you look at the facts 146 people were arrested vast majority of these not from the march but the far right. I think the police are looking for a handful of others currently so literally a minority.. if you go with the lowest figure of 300,000 marching and so some maths.
As for the rise on anti semitism as a whole yes that had gone up as has islamophobia. With our current government and papers like the daily mail whipping up hatred that's unfortunately inevitable. If you look at a one sided narrative then you can put forward the videos of the people from the protest going home and being abused at the train station.

@Rachna83 it's simply not appropriate to come onto the Jewish MN board and attempt to school people on what is and isn't antisemitic.

As for saying that the marches weren't antisemitic - a march can't hold a view or opinion but the people on it can. There were multiple examples of antisemitic slogans, on placards and being shouted, backed up by hard evidence in the form of videos and photos. It is demonstrably not true to say that these were limited to the far right. Not only that, but this was a feature of all the marches over the past few weeks - again backed up by evidence- so anyone turning up on Saturday and expecting it to be any different was delusional at best.

Of course other people can have a view on what constitutes antisemitism, or anything else. But to keep returning to a board set up specifically for Jewish MNers and insisting that they are wrong and you are right, shows a distinct lack of manners (at the very least).

This year unlike 2021 the protester have largely used the pre designed printed signs given out or download able. The organisers did this because in 2021 it was a massive shit show of antisemitism and general hate on display for all to see. Google it if you don't remember

It is a guarantee that the same fuckwits are protesting this time. Therefore all that has happened is this year they are being more careful to try and hide their jew hate. It doesn't work very well because some people break ranks on this and the protesters as seen on various videos are still calling for the death of Jews and also the Genocide of 9 million Israeli when they use the Hamas war chant.

The reason for low arrests as seen on many many videos is the police are not arresting people that are offending. Part of this is the laws are not tight enough and part is they will start a riot if they try to arrest in a large crowd. So the truth is the police are not arresting people they should rather than the crowds are peaceful and Jew loving.

Re arrests - I found it interesting that a fairly low number of arrests were reported. But then within a day, social media was full of tweets etc by the Met (mainly) asking for help identifying numerous people photographed either in violent scuffles, or holding up racist placards - suggesting that the number will rise.

The antisemitism signs thread has got 1000 posts now. So it is finished. I tried to make sure the last post was at least pointing out a know antisemitic fuckwit. Overall the thread wasn't to horrific for idiots. Most the ones it got were a good example of antisemitism to anyone reading. I learnt from people private messaging me during covid threads that way more people read the threads than post.

Your posts are offensive and racist.
Please stop ‘splaining anti Semitism to Jewish people.
The reason all the anti semites on these marches haven’t been locked up is due to selective policing.
The police don’t have the guts to confront these racists and their vile placards so they take pictures and say they are looking for them.
And then they go into pubs in Pimlico and stop and search white men having a drink and supporting Remembrance Day.

.