Police have revealed the scale of hate crimes since Hamas' murderous assault on Israel with 133 people arrested and 26 charged with alleged anti-Semitism and Islamophobia offences.
Commander Karen Findlay, gold lead for Saturday’s protest in central London, and Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Counter Terrorism Command, gave reporters a briefing on the force’s policing of recent rallies.
The Metropolitan Police have arrested a total of 133 people under Operation Brock, it’s response to hate crimes and racially aggravated offences.
Of these, 14 have been charged with allegations of anti-Semitism and six for Islamophobia. A further six are for faith hate, criminal damage and other matters.
Overnight, a man was charged with criminal damage in Haringey. Martin Maughan, 45, is accused of shouting Islamophobic comments and knocking down a garden wall in a dispute.
Separately, a 43-year-old man was detained on suspicion of racially aggravated harassment after a suspected road rage incident in Golders Green Road. The suspect allegedly shouted anti-Semitic comments at another motorist who was wearing religious headwear.
Commander Karen Findlay said: “To echo what the Commissioner said yesterday about our approach to policing the protests, we are using sharper interventions to make arrests in big crowds, including analysing social media and employing retrospective facial recognition. I want to make it clear we will do everything within our power to take dangerous people off the streets.
“We fully recognise the sensitivities and inflammatory nature of some of the messaging and imagery on placards, and some of the chants.
“The strength of feeling around the awful events in Israel is understandable, and this has driven thousands onto the streets of London to make their support for the Palestinian or Israeli causes known.
“The specialist teams policing the protests have clear direction around the robust approach being taken against anyone who may be inciting racial hatred, potentially committing other public order offences, or in some cases committing potential terrorism offences.
“We are expecting other large demonstrations this weekend, and we will not hesitate to take action – whether that be for offences seen by officers on the ground, or after the event where imagery, witness accounts and other potential evidence is supplied.”
It cames as tens of thousands of demonstrators are planning to take to the streets, calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war on Armistice Day, Saturday November 11 or Remembrance Sunday.Security minister Tom Tugendhat has said such a pro-Palestine protest in central London would be inappropriate.
There are fears the march could disrupt the two-minute silence commemorating the war dead and the daytime and evening Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall, with the latter performance usually attended by royals.
Mr Tugendhat told BBC Breakfast on Friday morning: “Let’s be clear, the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign has said that they want to march on Remembrance Sunday, and that is a matter of great concern to me.”
Mr Tugendhat, a veteran who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, added: “It is a moment where we remember those we lost, and I think for the whole country the Cenotaph is sacred ground and the idea that on a day like Remembrance Day you would have a protest going past it, I don’t think that is acceptable.
“That is why I have written to the Mayor of London, and to Westminster Council, and to the Metropolitan Police asking them to look very carefully at the powers that they have and to consider what options they have available, because personally I don’t think this is an appropriate moment for a protest.”
While the police will be responsible for on-the-day monitoring of the demonstration, the Home Secretary could grant them extra powers to prevent it from interrupting remembrance ceremonies.
The Public Order Act 1986 allows Suella Braverman to ban protests from certain areas if the Met believes there is a disorder risk.
On the reported demo planned for Remembrance Sunday, a Met spokesman added: “Officers will be deployed across London on November 11 and 12 as part of a significant policing and security operation.
“We’re absolutely committed to ensuring the safety and security of anyone attending commemorative events.
“We know that this year, there are concerns about a demonstration by pro-Palestinian campaigners.
“The protest organisers have not indicated any plans to protest on Remembrance Sunday. They have shared their intentions to hold a significant demonstration on the Saturday but are engaging with our officers and have said they are willing to avoid the Whitehall area, recognising the sensitivities around the date.
“This is a weekend with huge national significance. We will use all the powers available to us to ensure anyone intent on disrupting it will not succeed.”
