Suella Braverman says there has been a «complete refusal to change»; by Met Commissioner Photo: Paul Grover for The Telegraph
Suella Braverman is leading calls for the head of the Metropolitan Police to resign as the force faces mounting pressure after threatening to arrest an «openly Jewish» man during a pro-Palestinian rally.
The former home secretary's intervention came after Oliver Dowden, the deputy prime minister, suggested Scotland Yard was «disrespectful» to Jews. In an exclusive interview with The Telegraph, he said it was “hard to imagine any other minority being treated with as much disrespect as the Jews.”
Sir Mark Rowley was summoned to a meeting with Chris Philp, the police minister, who said he was «deeply concerned» about the Met's treatment of counter-protesters at pro-Palestinian rallies.
«No one should be told that their religion is provocative, but an innocent person should not be threatened with arrest solely because of the expected unreasonable reaction of someone,” Mr Philp said.
The Met has repeatedly come under fire over pro-Palestinian marches. , which became a regular weekend event in central London and were criticized for being anti-Semitic.
Two leading Jewish organizations — the Campaign Against Antisemitism and the National Jewish Assembly — have joined calls for Sir Mark to resign, with Lord Wolfson, the former justice secretary, saying the Met «needs a new approach and seemingly new leadership».
Gideon Falter, a Jew facing arrest, said last night: “It is time for Sir Mark Rowley to go. He must resign or he will be removed by the Mayor of London and the Home Secretary.
“What happened to me was a shame. Imagine what it was like when the police told me that being “openly Jewish” would make people “displeased” and therefore I had to leave the area on pain of arrest.”
He added: “Sir Mark has the honor of leading the worst surge in anti-Semitic crime in our capital since records began.”
Lord Walney, the government's independent adviser on political violence and disorder, said he believed there was «institutional antisemitism» across the public sector, including the police, and called for a «systematic review».
p>< "The way Jews are openly challenged about Israel's behavior - sometimes in official settings - is shocking," he said. “Jews are being criticized by people who have special opinions about the conflict in the Gaza Strip. And this is a widespread form of anti-Semitism.”
Sir William Shawcross, an independent reviewer of the government's strategy to prevent extremism, said it was «appalling» that so many Jews were «terrified to be in central London while these protests are taking place. This is intolerable.”
He added: “The tasks of the police are not easy. But it is imperative that they do everything to protect Jews and others from any such fears. This is also the absolute responsibility of the organizers of these marches.”
Priti Patel, the former home secretary, said the incident was “beyond acceptable”, adding that it was time for Scotland Yard to “stop this nonsense”. » and be «respectful and understanding of the needs of the Jewish community at this particularly sensitive time.»
In an article for The Telegraph, Ms Braverman said that «after such a litany of failures and complete failure to change, the Metro Commissioner needs to take take responsibility. And he must go.”
She added: «I have seen too much fear and even more favoritism in the policing of pro-Palestinian protests.»
Suella Braverman says, that Sir Mark Rowley «must go»; Photo: Kirsty O'Connor/PA
The Met's handling of pro-Palestinian marches, which have continued throughout the conflict between Israel and Hamas, came under new scrutiny following an incident last Saturday when police threatened to arrest a man they described as an «outspoken Jew» for walking through central London during a rally.
The officer suggested that the presence of Mr Falter, the head of the Campaign Against Antisemitism, was “provocative” and that he had “caused discontent” among protesters in central London. A second officer later warned him that he would be arrested if he did not leave the area.
Police were forced to apologize on Friday over statements made by Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist, one of the Met's most senior officers, who said being present during marches could be «provocative», in comments that were described as «victim blaming».
Sir Mark issued another apology last night.< /p>
“Every member of the Met is determined to make London a city where everyone feels safe,” he said.
“We absolutely understand how vulnerable Jewish and Muslim Londoners feel following the terrorist attacks on Israel.
“Some of our actions have reinforced these concerns. I personally reiterate our apology from earlier this week.
“Today, as every other day, our officers will continue to police with courage, compassion and impartiality.”
The power of perception is “institutionally anti-Semitic”
However, Gary Mond, chairman of the National Jewish Assembly, said: «Responsibility lies at the top and if Rowley is not prepared to properly control the demonstrations, he should go and be replaced by someone who can.»
He added, that there was a view within the British Jewish community that these forces were «institutionally anti-Semitic» and called for a Macpherson-style review that followed the murder of Stephen Lawrence in 1993.
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Mr Dowden told The Telegraph , that the police have an «extremely difficult job and we must all acknowledge that», but said Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, had shown «indifference» rather than «solidarity».
His criticism The Met's treatment of Jews was echoed by Lord Pickles, a former community secretary, who said the police's «closed-minded approach to public order was endangering British Jews.»
He said the Met was «embarrassed leaderless and useless throughout the entire demonstration. They have lost their moral compass and must urgently reconsider their attitude towards antisemitism.”
Paul Scully MP, a former minister in London, said the Met's approach to controlling protests risked «inflaming» tensions in the capital.
“If you don't handle the public correctly, it risks leading to a breakdown of anti-social behavior and you end up in a seventies New York — a Gotham City scenario,” he said.
“This may seem extreme, but it is the cumulative effect of unequal treatment of communities and mismanagement of protests. This could create fault lines in the community and impact things like tourism and investment.»
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