Near pro-Palestinian protest
\n LONDON
\nLondon\u2019s police force has been forced to issue two apologies after officers threatened to arrest an \u201copenly Jewish\u201d man if he refused to leave the area around a pro-Palestinian march because his presence risked provoking the demonstrators.
\nGideon Falter, chief executive of the Campaign Against Antisemitism, was wearing a traditional Jewish skullcap when he was stopped by police while trying to cross a street in central London as demonstrators filed past on April 13.
\nOne officer told Falter he was worried that the man\u2019s \u201cquite openly Jewish\u201d appearance could provoke a reaction from the protesters, according to video posted by the campaign group. A second officer then told Falter he would be arrested if he refused to be escorted out of the area because he was \u201ccausing a breach of the peace.\u201d
\nLondon\u2019s Metropolitan Police Service on Friday afternoon apologized for the language the officer used in describing Falter\u2019s appearance, but said counter demonstrators had to be aware \u201cthat their presence is provocative.\u201d
\nThe Met later deleted that apology from its social media accounts and issued a second statement.
\n\u201cIn an effort to make a point about the policing of protest we caused further offense,\u201d the force said. \u201cThis was never our intention. We have removed that statement and we apologize.\u201d
\n\u201cBeing Jewish is not a provocation. Jewish Londoners must be able to feel safe in the city.\u201d
\nThe episode highlights the challenges London police face amid the boiling tensions surrounding the war in Gaza, with some Jewish residents saying they feel threatened by repeated pro-Palestinian marches through the streets of the British capital.
\nWhile the marches have been largely peaceful, many demonstrators accuse Israel of genocide and a small number have shown support for Hamas, the group that led the Oct. 7 attack on Israel and which has been banned by the British government as a terrorist organization.
\nThe Met has deployed thousands of officers during each of the dozen major marches as it sought to protect the rights of the pro-Palestinian protesters and prevent clashes with counter-demonstrators and Jewish residents.
\nFollowing Falter\u2019s confrontation with police, the Campaign Against Antisemitism issued a call for Londoners to exercise their right to walk wherever they choose on April 27, when another pro-Palestinian march is scheduled.
\nIn response, the Met emailed Falter about what it described as his intention to \u201cprotest\u201d next week and offered to meet with him to discuss ways to \u201censure we can police the event as safely as possible,\u201d according an exchange of correspondence released by the campaign group.
\nFalter rejected the idea that he was staging a protest, saying he was planning to go for a walk as a \u201cprivate individual\u201d and others might choose to join him.
\n\u201cUnfortunately @MetPoliceUK is missing the point,\u201d he said on the social media site X. \u201cThis is not a protest or counterprotest. Anyone who wishes to walk around London on Saturday 27th April \u2026 is free to do so. Even if they are \u2018quite openly Jewish.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Near pro-Palestinian protest LONDON London\u2019s police force has been forced to issue two apologies after officers threatened to arrest an \u201copenly Jewish\u201d man if he refused to leave the area around a pro-Palestinian march because his presence risked provoking the demonstrators. Gideon Falter, chief executive of the Campaign Against Antisemitism, was wearing a traditional Jewish […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":401594,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-401575","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n