Watch as pro-Palestine protesters rally in central London despite calls from the government and Metropolitan Police to reconsider staging it in the wake of the Manchester synagogue terror attack.
Defend Our Juries have organised an event in Trafalgar Square on Saturday (4 October), which could see more than 1,500 people attend to protest against the government’s ban on Palestine Action.
Sir Keir Starmer has urged organisers and attendees to “respect the grief of British Jews” and called for the event to be delayed or cancelled, while Shabana Mahmood slammed the demonstrations as “fundamentally un-British”.
Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley asked that the demonstrations be postponed due to the drain on resources while extra officers are stationed at synagogues. He also said it will “likely create further tensions and some might say lacks sensitivity”.
However, the group has rejected the calls, stating that: “Cancelling peaceful protests lets terror win.”
“It’s more important than ever to defend our democracy, including our fundamental rights to peaceful protest and freedom of speech, and to take a stand tomorrow against killing and against oppression, and for peace and justice for all,” a spokesperson said.
On Thursday (2 October), Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66 were killed when Jihad al-Shamie, 35, rammed a car into the place of worship before leaving the vehicle and stabbing people, on Yom Kippur, Judaism’s holiest day. Shamie was fatally shot by police.
Four other people were injured in the attack, with three of them sent to hospital with serious injuries.
