3 hours ago
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Police have asked organisers of a mass protest against the ban on Palestine Action to postpone it so that resources can be used to protect Jewish and Muslim communities after the terror attack at a Manchester synagogue.
Defend Our Juries, which has been organising the protests in London, said it intended to go ahead with its action on Saturday and it urged the police to focus on protecting those communities fearing reprisals or follow-up terror attacks.
“We urge you to choose to prioritise protecting the community rather than arresting those peacefully holding signs in opposition to the absurd and draconian ban of a domestic direct action group,” Defend Our Juries told the Metropolitan police in a letter of reply.
The protest in London on Saturday could set a record for the number of people arrested at a single event of civil disobedience, according to organisers. They said they had received 1,500 pledges to attend the demonstration and risk arrest and were expecting hundreds more to register by the weekend.
A letter sent by the Metropolitan police to Defend Our Juries after the attack in Manchester – in which two members of the Jewish community died and four were left in a serious condition – said the event in London would require “a significant policing plan”.
“Following the horrific and tragic events that have taken place in Manchester this morning, the details of which are still developing, the Met is stepping up reassurance and protective security operations across the capital with a particular focus on London’s Jewish and Muslim communities,” said the letter, which was signed in the name of the deputy assistant commissioner Ade Adelekan.
“However, as you know, your previous large-scale events and other concurrent protests place a significant pressure on policing and draw officers away from the communities they serve to be in central London. This means less neighbourhood and response officers in their communities and less officers focusing on serious crimes.”
Adelekan said the force would be required to deploy hundreds of officers to the protest given the number of people being urged to turn up, and after the last three events in central London. Those required more than 2,500 officers, including counter-terrorism officers.
“This weekend we would ask you to consider pausing your activity and postponing it for another weekend. This would ensure that those officers who would otherwise be policing your event can instead be in their communities, providing a visible reassurance and protective security,” the letter said.
“This would ensure we are able to dedicate all the resources we have to ensure that Jewish Londoners can be as reassured as is possible during the Jewish high holy days, and that Muslim communities can be protected against those who may exploit these tragic events.”
Defend Our Juries said in its reply to the Met that it had “utterly condemned” the attack in Manchester, and it said it had always been the choice of the Metropolitan police as to whether or not to make arrests at its protests.
It went on: “According to your letter, it appears the political oversight in proscribing Palestine Action, which aimed to save lives in Palestine, is taking away from the police protecting the community from those who seek to take lives.
“As I’m sure you will understand, the protection of our democracy and the prevention of countless deaths are critical issues. Therefore, our protest will go ahead as planned for this Saturday.”
