A Tube driver who led a chant of “free, free Palestine” on a London Underground train on Saturday has been suspended pending further investigation into the incident, Transport for London has said.
In footage shared on social media, the driver appeared to lead the chant over the PA system on a Central line tube packed full of people heading to a pro-Palestine march in central London.
Glynn Barton, TfL’s Chief Operating Officer, said on Monday: "We have been urgently and thoroughly investigating the footage appearing to show a Tube driver misusing the PA system and leading chants on a Central line train on Saturday.
"A driver has now been identified and suspended whilst we continue to fully investigate the incident in line with our policies and procedures.”
The driver of the Central line service said "free, free" to which the passengers responded "Palestine" – a popular chant at protests.
He added: "Hope you all have a blessed day. Look after yourselves. Keep all those people in your prayers."
He told passengers that he wanted to attend the march but had to work before leading them in a chant.
"Although I can't be there, would you kindly join me as we proceed to Bond Street. To warm you guys up, here we go: free, free," he said.
Up to 100,000 people attended the pro-Palestine march from Marble Arch to Downing Street on Saturday, the Metropolitan Police said, before 10 people were arrested.
On Monday the Transport Secretary described the footage as "disturbing".
Mr Harper told Sky News: "I want to make sure people across the country are secure and those sorts of things will have been very concerning, particularly to people in the Jewish community."
Over the weekend some demonstrators were seen chanting "jihad" in video footage, which prompted Home Secretary Suella Braverman to meet with the Metropolitan Police chief Sir Mark Rowley on Monday.
The footage was from a demonstration by the Hizb ut-Tahrir fundamentalist group, which was separate to the main pro-Palestine rally.
Officers had said no offences were identified and police could only enforce the law and not “taste and decency”, Sir Mark said.
The Met had pointed out that jihad has “a number of meanings”, and said that specialist counter-terrorism officers had not identified any offences arising from the specific clip from Saturday.
Instead, officers spoke to the man to “discourage any repeat of similar chanting”.
The Met chief defended the approach taken by the force, as he suggested that recent demonstrations had shown current rules need “redrawing”.
Encouraging extremism will be met with “the full force of the law”, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on the issue, after being urged to ban the fundamentalist group.
Mr Sunak told the House of Commons on Monday: “Where there are gaps in the law, we’re happy to address and look at those.
“But we do believe at the moment the police do have the powers to arrest those who are inciting violence or racial hatred, there is no place on our streets for that type of behaviour and we will work extensively to clarify the guidance to officers on the ground so they are aware fully about the powers and tools that are available to them to make sure these people feel the force of the law.”
