The Metropolitan Police have threatened to arrest pro-Palestine activists failing to adhere to a new route set out for a march scheduled for this Saturday.
Recognising the disruption that a planned demo, -set to begin at Portland Place, close to Central Synagogue – would have had on Shabbat services, police have instructed demonstrators to instead form up in Russell Square and head on a new route ending in Whitehall.Communal leaders stress demand for pro-Palestine demo to avoid synagogue
In a statement the Met confirmed they would have a “significant policing presence” in Portland Place to ensure strict conditions around the march are not breached.
They added:”Anyone breaching the conditions, or inciting others to do so, is committing an offence.
“The consequences for doing so include arrest.”
`The statement followed claims Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) director Ben Jamal reportedly said his group would go ahead with its planned march from Whitehall to the BBC on Saturday, even if the police dispersed the crowd en route.
Ismail Patel, chairman of Friends of Al-Aqsa, who are also behind the march, said in a speech he would go to “prison” rather than agree to the change to the protest’s route.
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.
