Lord Walney said the marches were “clearly the vehicle that is contributing to this huge increase in anti-Semitism.” Photo: David Rose
The official review will require changes to the law to allow police to ban pro-Palestinian marches because of their impact on the Jewish community, reports The Telegraph.
Lord Walney, the government's independent adviser on political violence and riots, said British Jews faced an “emergency” due to an “explosive rise” in anti-Semitic incidents linked to the marches.
John Woodcock, a former Labor MP, was named Lord Walney in 2020. He quit the party to become an independent in 2018 amid an antisemitism scandal, and in 2021 Boris Johnson asked him to lead a review into political violence and disorder.
Lord Walney was on the verge of submitting his review, but Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7 agreed with the Home Office to update it in light of the “repercussions” on British streets.
The peer said The Telegraph reported that he would specifically “look at the threshold for the police to ban the march.”
Currently, police can apply to ban a public procession under the Public Order Act if there is a risk. serious public disorder. However, Lord Walney said the bar was set too high because it did not take into account the wider impact of the demonstrations on vulnerable groups.
“I think the atmosphere in London since October 7 shows that the current framework is not set correctly,” he said. “It is impossible to take into account the effect that these marches are having on the Jewish people and throughout the UK.”
He said he was “very sympathetic” to the Public Safety Foundation's argument that this weekend's demonstrations should have been canceled because pro-Palestinian protests contributed to anti-Semitic incidents.
“Now the current structure doesn’t allow for that,” he said. “The Met must make an informed decision about the likelihood of serious violence on this day, but it is clear that the marches are, at the very least, a factor in increasing tensions, an increase in anti-Semitic attacks and the culture of fear and intimidation that Jewish people are subjected to.
“At this point… this is not enough to prompt a call for a ban. I therefore intend to include in my review, which will soon be submitted to the Prime Minister and Home Secretary, a recommendation that this framework be urgently reviewed to allow what happens in this case to be taken into account by the police.”
The The Telegraph understands that Suella Braverman, the Home Secretary, is sympathetic to the proposed changes.
Lord Walney said he would submit his review before Christmas, and he has ensured that. implementing its recommendations will require primary legislation.
He said the situation facing British Jews was “heartbreaking”, adding: “The scale of the threat they are exposed to and that they perceive when they leave their home is not something we should ever consider it to be.” the price worth paying for something in Britain. . This is in direct opposition to the British values we strive to uphold.
“They are afraid to go into central London, they don’t use public transport and when they do they are confronted and singled out. out. They are forced to hide their Jewish identity when they move around. This is a terrifying situation. We must treat the situation of the Jewish people in this country as an emergency.
“It is not enough to simply say that many of the people who march are not anti-Semitic, but simply care about the plight of the people in the Gaza Strip. therefore they should be allowed… marches are clearly a vehicle for a huge increase in anti-Semitism, and we do not accept this argument in other contexts.”
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