A group of 51 MPs and peers have signed a letter claiming that pro-Palestine activists were denied “civil liberties and freedom to protest” over a ban on marching near a central London synagogue.
In a letter to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, the parliamentarians – including 20 Labour MPs and four members of the pro-Gaza independent alliance along with Green, SNP and Sinn Fein representatives – say they were “deeply troubled” by the “obstacles put in place by the Metropolitan Police ahead of the 18th January demonstration, as well as the policing on the day.”
They continued: “We have spoken to the key figures in the forefront of the events of the day, listened to their first-hand accounts and viewed the video footage, and there are some significant issues of concern.”
Labour signatories include Clive Lewis and Andy McDonald, both vocal critics of Israel who have previously faced allegations of antisemtism.
They were joined by names like independent MP Iqbal Mohamed, who sparked outrage at PMQs last week by referring to Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons as “hostages”, and both Green Party co-leaders Adrian Ramsay and Carla Denyer.
Notably absent, though, were the signatures of Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell, who were interviewed under police caution in the wake of the march in question.
Ben Jamal, director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), who organised the protest during which 77 people were arrested, was later charged with breaching police conditions.
Demonstrators were barred from their planned protest at the BBC’s Broadcasting House because of its proximity to Central Synagogue, combined with the march’s Saturday morning start time.
At the time, police said that the conditions were imposed after “taking into account the cumulative impact of the prolonged period of protest on Jewish Londoners, particularly when protests are in the vicinity of synagogues [and are] often on Saturdays, the Jewish holy day.”
However, the MPs questioned the police’s judgement in implementing the restrictions.
They wrote: “It is very clear from the published footage that the protest organisers announced their intention to send a small delegation to walk towards the BBC, carrying flowers which they intended to lay there.
“They announced that if the police were to stop them proceeding to the BBC, then they would lay the flowers at the feet of the police instead.”
The MPs appeared to dismiss communal concerns about the marches, adding: “They have been peaceful in nature and attended by a broad range of people and groups - including a prominent Jewish block at every march. Ahead of every march, the organisers have discussed fully with the Metropolitan Police to ensure their success.”
Prior to the protest, organisers had said they would defy the police restrictions, even under threat of dispersal or arrest.
After the protest, Board of Deputies president Phil Rosenberg thanked Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley for keeping the Jewish community safe.
“We are really grateful for the close and forensic work you and the Met did to allow freedom of expression and make sure that protest could go ahead, but to keep our community safe and stop the disruption to our normal communal life. And I think we owe you a huge amount of appreciation for that”, he told a meeting of the Board that Rowley was present at.
Meanwhile, London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan recently suggested that there would be “no need” for further demonstrations should the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas hold.
