UK
‘Two-tier’ policing row erupts over Gaza protest in Jewish suburb on Passover
Police accused of ‘disastrous failure’ after anti-Israel protesters march past synagogue on Shabbat
April 21, 2025 11:16
Police accused of ‘disastrous failure’ after anti-Israel protesters march past synagogue on Shabbat
April 21, 2025 11:16Essex Police are facing fierce criticism over alleged “two-tier policing” after anti-Israel protesters marched through a Jewish area of Westcliff-on-Sea on Shabbat and Yom Tov on the last weekend of Pesach.
Chanting “globalise the intifada”, dozens of demonstrators paraded through the residential streets as Jewish families were returning home from synagogue.
Footage shared online shows the marchers – some at the front dressed in religious garments associated with Christianity and carrying a cross – making their way through the suburb of Southend. Some held bloodied fabric representing dead children.
Police spoke to one group of strictly-Orthodox synagogue-goers as they walked home from the Shabbat service, while the march proceeded around them.
According to the Telegraph one organiser of the “Essex March for Palestine” suggested on social media that the residential location was chosen because it was a “very blue and white area”, interpreted as a possible reference to the colours of the Israeli flag.
One of the main groups involved was Chelmsford for Palestine, which split from Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) earlier this year.
Southend PSC distanced itself from the march on Saturday, and said it played no part in organising the rally, on “an important religious festival for many people including Christians and Jews”.
Former Conservative attorney general Sir Michael Ellis accused the force of “two-tier policing” and urged Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, to intervene.
“On the evidence currently available, this has been a disastrous failure on the part of Essex Police.
"They have fallen far below the acceptable standards in maintaining law and order,” he told the Telegraph.
“This is a gold standard example of two-tier policing. After Southport, the government committed that all minorities would be protected.
"The police allowed this march to go ahead and then prevented members of the local Jewish community from going about their lawful business. The home secretary must call in the chief constable of Essex Police to account for this failure.” According to the Telegraph a group of Jewish worshippers were stopped by police as they attempted to go home.
A spokesman for Essex Police said a Jewish group near the demonstration “were supported by officers who escorted them to the opposite side of the road to ensure their safety”. The force added: “It would be inaccurate to suggest this was anything other than officers trying to help a group of people.”
Essex Police told the JC: “Earlier this month, we were made aware of a planned event due to take place in Westcliff on Saturday April 19. As a result, a proportionate, appropriate and visible policing plan was put in place which covered key areas of the event route. Having engaged with local communities, to ensure everyone’s safety and wellbeing, a condition was placed upon the event, moving its start time to 2.30pm.”
The force said that if any allegations of criminal activity are raised, they will be investigated. “We always follow up with all communities affected after events such as this – and this will be no different. As we have consistently said, we police our county without fear or favour,” Essex Police said.
Jewish activist group Stop the Hate were monitoring the march and claimed the protest “was a coordinated act of hate targeting a community already living in heightened fear”.
A spokesman said: “This was not a spontaneous gathering. It was a premeditated act of provocation, timed and routed to maximise intimidation against a religious minority.”
Jeremy Dein KC, a leading defence barrister, said: “The deliberate intimidation of Jews is hateful and criminal and the time has come for meaningful action across the United Kingdom.”
A spokesperson for the Community Security Trust (CST) said the march was “a deliberately antagonistic act”.
“People have the choice about when and where to protest and organising a pro-Palestinian march of this nature near to synagogues on the Sabbath is a deliberately antagonistic act that we utterly condemn.
“It causes fear and alarm in the local Jewish community and damages wider relations. The new police powers announced by the home secretary to prevent this kind of intimidation cannot come into force a moment too soon.”
The protest follows recent moves by the home secretary to expand police powers aimed at protecting places of worship from disruptive or intimidating demonstrations. These include new conditions on protest routes and timings of marches that may interfere with religious practice.
At the Community Security Trust (CST) annual dinner, Yvette Cooper said: “Where a protest has an intimidating effect, such that it prevents people from accessing or attending their place of worship, the full range of public order conditions will be available for the police to use.”
A Home Office spokesman told the JC: “Protesting outside a synagogue during Passover in order to intimidate the Jewish communities attending is wrong.
"The right to peaceful protest is an important part of our democratic society, but it gives no one the right to harass or intimidate communities.That is why we will give police new powers to protect places of worship from intimidatory protests and ensure that people of all faiths can practice their religion without fear of disruption.”
Chelmsford for Palestine was contacted for comment.