Keir Starmer suggests pro-Palestine marches could be BANNED to 'protect Jewish community'

Sir Keir Starmer has suggested pro-Palestine demonstrations could potentially be banned, owing to their effect on Britain's Jewish community.

When questioned about whether he favoured stricter policing of language at marches, or wanted some protests halted entirely, the Prime Minister responded: "I think certainly the first, and I think there are instances for the latter."

He emphasised his desire for "tougher action" against demonstrators using specific phrases at pro-Gaza rallies.

He stated that those attending marches bear responsibility for challenging chants such as "globalise the intifada" - a phrase critics interpret as inciting violence against Israelis, and Jews more broadly.

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"When you see, when you hear some of those chants - then clearly there should be tougher action in relation to that," he added.

The Prime Minister's comments follow Wednesday's knife attack in Golders Green, where two Jewish men were stabbed in an incident subsequently classified as terrorism by police.

This week, the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre elevated the UK's terror threat level to "severe," indicating an attack is "highly likely."

Stephen Parkinson, the director of public prosecutions, said: "Recent events, including the appalling attack on members of the Jewish community in London, come against a deeply troubling rise in antisemitic incidents across the country."

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley warned that British Jews now face the greatest threat in their history following recent attacks targeting their community.

Sir Keir called for a "whole of society response" to combat rising antisemitism, alongside "further powers" for policing demonstrations.

Jonathan Hall KC, the Government's independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, had already called for a "moratorium" on pro-Palestine demonstrations, arguing it was "impossible" for such marches not to "incubate" antisemitism.

The Stop The War coalition rejected this characterisation, posting on X: "There is no threat whatsoever to the Jewish community from these marches, and in fact they are attended by thousands of Jewish people often in a Jewish bloc and are completely safe - which they wouldn't be if these were antisemitic marches."

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Michael Coulston, a Palestine Solidarity Campaign organiser, believes a ban would be used as “an attack on friendly and safe marches”, and to clamp down on political protest.

He said: “I think the authorities will always try to use any excuse to try and prevent protest and to prevent any kind of dissent.”

Mr Coulston was speaking at a demonstration on Saturday billed as a “March to put Palestine on the ballot in the local elections”, involving around 50 protesters who took part in a protest through Lewisham, south-east London.

He said: “I think the language thing is a complete red herring. I have never heard language being used by marchers which was particularly offensive."

Sir Keir maintained his commitment to civil liberties, whilst acknowledging the need for boundaries.

"I will defend the right of peaceful protest very strongly and freedom of speech. I have defended those principles all my life and I will continue to do so. And so I'm not stepping back from that one bit," he said.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch earlier attacked the Prime Minister for failing to take sufficient action against antisemitism.

"Enough with the platitudes, we need action. We need to shame people who think antisemitism is acceptable," she declared.

Sir Keir also condemned Green Party leader Zack Polanski as "disgraceful" and "not fit to lead any political party" after he reposted online criticism of officers who detained the Golders Green suspect.

Mr Polanski, who also faced rebuke from Sir Mark Rowley, has since apologised for "sharing a tweet in haste".

The alleged perpetrator, Essa Suleiman, 45, faces charges of attempting to murder Shloime Rand, 34, and Norman Shine, 76, during Wednesday's attack.

Born in Somalia, Suleiman arrived in Britain legally as a child during the 1990s, and is additionally charged with the attempted murder of Ishmail Hussein at a Southwark property earlier that day.

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