Waving Palestine flag, chanting from 'river to sea' an offense in UK
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Human rights barrister Shami Chakrabarti says Braverman is engaging in virtue signaling "at best".
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Protesters take part in a "Stand with Palestine" demonstration close to the Israeli embassy in the UK on October 9, 2023. (AP)
Suella Braverman, the British Home Secretary, told police officers that chanting pro-freedom chants and waving Palestinian flags may be a "criminal offense".
The Home Secretary asked law enforcement in England and Wales to crack down on any efforts to "harass" or "intimidate" members of the Jewish community, and harassment, according to her, is any form of support for the Palestinian Resistance.
According to her, it is not only pro-Palestine symbols or chants that are worrisome, but even age-old chants like “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free."
The chants, according to Braverman, should be considered a desire to see "Israel" exterminated completely, and law enforcement should treat such occurrences as "harassment".
“I encourage all chief officers to ensure that any protests which could exacerbate community tensions by way of offensive placards, chants, or behaviours that could be construed as incitement or harassment, have a strong police presence to ensure perpetrators are appropriately dealt with, and that communities feel protected,” Braverman wrote.
According to the human rights barrister Shami Chakrabarti, Braverman is engaging in virtue signaling "at best," adding that "anxious and vulnerable minority communities are not made safer by the politicization of policing in difficult and dangerous times.”
Met police have increased their patrols in the community following Braverman's remarks.
Rishi Sunak earlier declared his support for "Israel" and explained that any person in the UK who supported Hamas and its "barbaric acts of terrorism" would be held accountable.
Meanwhile, Sunak completely ignored the months of brutality and terror the Palestinians have been subjected to in Gaza and the West Bank, including the refusal to mention or condemn a fresh siege imposed by wrathful Israeli officials.
Instead, Sunak decided it was important to make sure that the Israeli community in North London "felt safe". It seems that while sticks and stones are literally breaking Palestinian bones, Israeli dual-citizens in the UK are tormented by words and chants. One can only imagine the horror.
In a move to further suppress any pro-Palestinian voices, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly urged supporters of Palestine to stay home and not even participate in demonstrations.
Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick also encouraged the force to act after sharing a video uploaded on social media by television personality Rachel Riley in which cars in West London waved Palestinian flags out their windows in what she called a "celebration".
She added that “most people understand this is an abomination. No one should cheer war and death."
By "most people", one has to assume that Riley is completely ignorant of the topic of Resistance.
Braverman posted on X on Sunday morning: “Whenever Israel is attacked, Islamists and other racists use Israeli defensive measures as a pretext to stir up hatred against British Jews."
Whenever Israel is attacked, Islamists and other racists use Israeli defensive measures as a pretext to stir up hatred against British Jews. Yesterday I spoke with @CST_UK to ensure the government is doing everything necessary for the protection of our Jewish communities. 1/2
— Suella Braverman MP (@SuellaBraverman) October 8, 2023
Her allegations came with no figures or data to support her claims.
“There must be zero tolerance for antisemitism or glorification of terrorism on the streets of Britain," she remarked, adding that she expects police to "use the full force of the law against displays of support for Hamas, other proscribed terrorist groups or attempts to intimidate British Jews.”
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign has called for people to join an "emergency" rally outside the Israeli embassy on Monday in London two days after the commencement of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.
