Police ‘reviewing’ whether protests can go ahead after UK terror threat level raised

Police will review whether upcoming marches should go ahead after the national terrorism threat level was raised to “serious” on Thursday following the stabbings in Golders Green.

This includes a major demonstration planned by the Stop the War Coalition in London on May 16.

The event was held to celebrate Nakba Day, which commemorates the 1948 displacement of Palestinians during the founding of Israel.

Asked about marches in the coming weeks, Counter-Terrorism Policing Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said on Thursday: “As part of our review of the change in threat level, police will review all incidents across the country.

“My teams will be working with forces to ensure appropriate protective security measures are in place, appropriate mitigation measures are in place and we will be engaging with those involved as well as communities that will be affected by major incidents to keep them as safe as possible.”

Asked whether the marches would go ahead, he added: “At this stage that is part of the work that the police forces will look at.”

The Stop the War Coalition has previously said attempts to link recent “horrendous antisemitic attacks” in the capital with solidarity marches with Palestine were “wrong”.

The Community Security Trust (CST), which monitors antisemitism in the UK, accused organizers of doing “absolutely nothing” to challenge or prevent antisemitism at such marches.

CST policy director Dave Rich told the Press Association: “These marches provided a tolerant environment for violent incitement, extremism and antisemitism, and the organizers of these marches did absolutely nothing to counter or prevent this.

“This has contributed to the current state of the Jewish community, so the organizers of these marches are really the last people to say how antisemitism should be combated.”

His comments came after Jonathan Hall, an independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, said it was currently “impossible” for such marches not to “incubate” antisemitism.

Describing recent attacks on Jews as a “massive national security emergency”, he called for a “moratorium” on pro-Palestinian marches in comments to Times Radio.

There have been a number of arson attacks on Jewish sites in London since the end of March, as well as an incident in which a drone flew near the Israeli embassy.

Speaking after the Golders Green stabbings in which two Jewish men were injured on Wednesday, Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis called for “zero tolerance for antisemitism in relation to hate marches” and said these and other incidents, including “deliberate anti-Israel demonisation”, had “contributed to the tone of antisemitism in our country”.

Visiting the stage in Golders Green on Thursday, UK Reform leader Nigel Farage accused the Government of being “weak, weak, weak on all these issues”.

He told reporters: “I’m afraid we have allowed marches where chanting can be heard on the streets of London and other cities.

“We haven’t taken action and the Government has been weak, weak, weak on all these issues.

“I’m not claiming that we can turn this tide of hatred around overnight. We can’t. It’s here. It’s entrenched.”

Stop the War said the demonstrations were “in support of the people of Gaza and against the Israeli government’s genocide” and described Mr Hall’s call for a halt to such marches as “unacceptable”.

The organization said: “Efforts by some to link a series of horrific anti-Semitic attacks in North London to solidarity marches with Palestine are incorrect.”

The group stated that it “unequivocally condemns these attacks, as we do all forms of anti-Semitism and racism”, adding: “No one should be attacked because of their race or religion.”

He branded attempts to “link” such attacks with Palestinian marches “wrong”, saying the demonstrations “protested the role of the Israeli government and the complicity of the British government (in Gaza) in these attacks”.

The statement included the following: “These marches are supported by many Jews who participate.

“These are not the ‘hate marches’ described by right-wing politicians, but an expression of solidarity and support for those who have been attacked.”

The group argued that such calls “appear to be part of a broader agenda to suppress protests more generally and restrict our rights.”

The “Unite the Kingdom, Unite the West” rally, supported by Tommy Robinson, is also planned to be held on May 16.