Police arrest 14 at rival protests over Israeli property event in London | UK news
Police arrested 14 people among nearly 1,000 people protesting for and against a demonstration promoting property sales in Israel on Sunday.
Opponents of the event, held at a synagogue in north-west London, claimed the event also involved the sale of property in land illegally occupied by Israel and was part of an expansionist plan to expel Palestinians. Organizers denied this was the case.
Police tried to keep rival protesters apart outside Edgware United synagogue, in a predominantly Jewish area.
The groups, which say they speak for the majority of British Jews, say repeated pro-Palestinian protests amount to intimidation and harassment, especially if they take place in Jewish territory.
Pro-Palestinian groups reject this and see it as an attempt to silence protests over Israel’s widely alleged human rights abuses.
Metropolitan police commander Adam Slonecki said: “We liaised with the venue and the community safety trust and deployed officers to prevent serious disruption and deal with any crime, using all the powers available to us, including enforcing conditions under the Public Order Act.
“We recognize that Jewish communities face increasing fear and anxiety following two and a half years of protests and a series of arson and other attacks in recent months.
“There is a difference between protesting in central London and protesting in the heart of communities where the potential for serious disruption and intimidation is higher, and our policing plan reflects this.”
Participants of the invitation-only Grand Israel Real Estate Event, which appealed to those considering moving to Israel and included information about funeral services, had to pass through metal detectors when entering the synagogue.
Police said five people gathered outside were arrested for violent disorder, including one for assaulting a police officer.
Seven people were arrested for Public Order Act offences; four of these were alleged to be racially or religiously aggravating; One person was also charged with assaulting a police officer and one person was charged with common assault.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews said the pro-Palestinian protests were staged on bogus grounds and amounted to intimidation: “The event organizers have publicly denied claims that the event was marketing property over the green line. “It is very disappointing that MPs and other public figures have failed to acknowledge this and have instead escalated tensions with partial and misleading comments.
“Protesting in a synagogue based on false pretenses appears to be little more than an excuse to harass and intimidate members of the Jewish community.”
A call was made, backed by nearly 100 MPs and colleagues, before event groups including Amnesty International said the event should be cancelled.
In a letter to Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, they wrote: “Allowing the event to proceed would not only be inconsistent with the UK government’s current guidance on settlement-related economic activity, but would also be contrary to the government’s obligations under international law.”
Opponents say previous similar activities abroad have included promoting property in occupied territories.
