Protesters chanting “globalise the intifada” will now be arrested, the heads of the Greater Manchester and Metropolitan police forces have announced.
A statement from Greater Manchester’s chief constable Sir Stephen Watson and Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said this was because the “context has changed” in the wake of the terror attack at a Jewish festival in Sydney, in which 15 people were killed.
Surviving suspect Naveed Akram, 24, has been charged with 15 counts of murder and committing a terrorist attack following the incident in Sydney, Australia, on Sunday.
Akram and his father Sajid, 50, are accused of opening fire on crowds of more than 1,000 people as they celebrated Hanukkah in the Archer Park area of Bondi Beach on Sunday evening.
The police forces’ announcement comes after chief rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis previously said it had to be made clear that slogans such as “globalise the intifada” are “unlawful”. The Met and Greater Manchester police said they will “act decisively and make arrests”, adding that the measures were designed to “deter intimidation”.
Sir Mark and Sir Stephen said in a joint statement: “The words and chants used, especially in protests, matter and have real-world consequences. We have consistently been advised by the CPS that many of the phrases causing fear in Jewish communities don’t meet prosecution thresholds. Now, in the escalating threat context, we will recalibrate to be more assertive.
“We know communities are concerned about placards and chants such as ‘globalise the intifada’ and those using it at future protest or in a targeted way should expect the Met and GMP to take action.
“Violent acts have taken place, the context has changed – words have meaning and consequence. We will act decisively and make arrests.
“Frontline officers will be briefed on this enhanced approach. We will also use powers under the Public Order Act, including conditions around London synagogues during services.”
Intifada is an Arabic word which means “to shake off”, according to the Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU). The American Jewish Committee describes it as a phrase “used by pro-Palestinian activists that calls for aggressive resistance against Israel and those who support Israel”.
But its meaning is contested, with protesters claiming it is a call to “shake off” colonialism and for a peaceful resistance to Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and actions in Gaza.
The police forces’ announcement has been welcomed by the charity the Community Security Trust (CST), which provides protection for Jewish people in Britain.
A spokesperson said: “The recent terror attacks in Bondi and Heaton Park were abhorrent, leaving Jewish communities feeling frightened and vulnerable. These attacks come amid a deeply concerning rise in antisemitism, which has created fear and uncertainty for Jewish people across the country.
“For many years, CST has called for tougher action against hateful and violent chants and placards at protests and this announcement comes not a moment too soon. In particular, given the wave of terrorism against Jews around the world, it is intolerable that a call for a global “intifada” should be allowed on our streets.
“We welcome the news that this behaviour will now be met with arrests. This is a necessary and important first step to turning back this tide of violent incitement and we hope that police across the country and the CPS will follow suit.
“CST will continue working closely with the police and our partners to ensure that Jewish life in this country remains protected.”
Sajid Akram was shot dead by police at the scene of the attack in Sydney, and two officers were also non-fatally shot as gunfire was exchanged. Naveed Akram remains under armed guard in hospital.
Along with the murders, he is accused of 40 counts of causing wounding/grievous bodily harm to a person with intent to murder, discharging a firearm intending to cause grievous bodily harm, a public display of a prohibited terrorist organisation symbol, and placing an explosive in/near a building with the intent to cause harm.
Chief crown prosecutor Lionel Idan, hate crime lead for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Our thoughts are with the Jewish community following the abhorrent terror attack on innocent people in Sydney as they started to celebrate Hanukkah.
“We are already working closely with police and communities to identify, charge and prosecute antisemitic hate crimes and we will always look at ways we can do more.
“We carefully consider each antisemitic hate crime case referred to us for charging decision or early advice to see whether it can be taken to court.
“Some offences can be context specific and where the evidence is not sufficient, we will work with police to identify what more can be done to meet the threshold for charging.
“We have initially responded to the government’s hate crime review to identify where the law can be strengthened to enhance our ability to prosecute such hatred, deter offenders and achieve justice for victims.”
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