The Metropolitan Police has specified a new route for Saturday’s controversial Gaza march that takes it away from a central London synagogue.
It follows longstanding upset in the community over persistent disruption to central London synagogues caused by the marches - and widespread concern about the protest planned for this Saturday, which had been set to begin at Portland Place, close to Central Synagogue, on Shabbat.
Now demonstrators must form up in Russell Square and head on a new route via Kingsway, Aldwych and the Strand, ending in Whitehall.
The force has threatened to arrest anyone breaking the conditions put around Portland Place at any time on Saturday.
Met Commander Adam Slonecki said: “We don’t want to have to arrest people but we have the resources to do so, including at scale, if we need to.”
The move comes after Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) director Ben Jamal reportedly said his group would go ahead with its planned march from Whitehall to the BBC – which is near Central Synagogue - on Saturday, even if the police disperse the crowd en route.
Ismail Patel, Chairman of Friends of Al-Aqsa – one of the coalition partners organising the march – pledged to go on the march “if it means me going in the prison”.
PSC will now be expected to follow the new route – or risk arrest.
The Board of Deputies welcomed the announcement.
Vice President Andrew Gilbert said: “We commend the Met for its high level of cultural sensitivity with regards to this issue, which involved undertaking a detailed impact assessment, listening to both national and local Jewish representatives on the issue of the route to approve, and for standing firm in the face of considerable pressure from other parties.”
Met Commander Slonecki said: “Our role is not to take sides. We police without fear or favour and we have taken the decisions we have motivated only by the need to ensure groups can exercise their right to peaceful protest, while also ensuring the wider community can go about their lives without serious disruption.”
Slonecki said that the force had offered PSC alternative days of the week to protest outside BBC, “where we could be confident that they wouldn’t cause serious disruption to the lives of those attending the synagogue.”
He said the “onus” should not be on the Jewish community to change their Shabbat activity.
“We are also aware of some more recent commentary suggesting that reversing the route should be acceptable because the morning service at the synagogue would have finished. The synagogue is in use throughout the day and such a position doesn’t take into account other services and gatherings. The onus should not be on others to change their behaviour, such as leaving by a specific time, in order to accommodate the needs of protest groups,” Slonecki said.
“We will have a significant policing presence in the area around Portland Place to ensure the conditions we have set out are not breached and serious disruption is avoided.
“I would also appeal to those with influence, including protest organisers or those who lead other campaign groups or blocs, to ensure that any previous plans are not being promoted and to make every effort to ensure those attending are aware of the conditions now in place,” the Met commander went on.
