Like the CAA’s November march in London, which saw some 105,000 people protesting against antisemitism, Levy said the Manchester march would showcase Jewish pride and solidarity. “It’s more important than ever that we stand united as a community,” he said.
CAA National March Against Antisemitism[Missing Credit]
Levy said a “Pandora's box” of antisemitism had opened in Manchester and members of the community were keen to take a stand against it.
The pattern of anti-Israel activity has been similar to that of London in recent weeks, with a rally in the city centre taking place on most weekends, Jewish students at Manchester universities reporting online abuse and school strikes for Gaza being organised.
“When you have marches where people call for violence against Jews - and [Jewish] people are unable to go into city centres at the weekend - that needs to be challenged. We're not a community who take to the streets easily,” said Levy, but this march would show that the Jewish community was “out and proud”.
An anti-Israel rally in Manchester (Photo: Sean Hansford, Manchester Evening News)[Missing Credit]
“Across the UK, Jewish people have had to contend with widespread calls for the genocide of Jews, violence against individuals, threats, intimidation and desecration of property. It is essential that the Jewish people come out in force and show that we’re not going stand for people calling for our harm.”
Levy and the other organisers of the Manchester march travelled to London for the rally in November, which Levy described as “a huge success”.
But the resurgence of anti-Jewish hatred was not confined to London, he said, and “lots of friends in wider society in northern England wanted to march against antisemitism”.
Levy said that the march was “not about Israel. It’s about antisemitism in the UK.” Coming from five generations of British Jews, Levy said: “We’re marching as British Jews. My great-grandparents were born in Manchester. I'm very proud to be British and Jewish.”
He said he expected to see more Union Jacks than Israeli flags being waved and was looking forward to singing the British national anthem as well as the Hatikvah at the January march.
Organisers planned to invite elected representatives from the city and beyond and said they would be working closely with a range of communal partners in addition to CST, Greater Manchester Police and Manchester City Council.
