KeshetUK has announced it will no longer organise the Jewish bloc at this year’s Pride in London, accusing event organisers of failing to support the safety of Jewish LGBT+ participants amid a rise in antisemitism and hate crime.
The education and training charity said it had been left with no choice but to withdraw for a second consecutive year after Pride in London rejected multiple requests, including antisemitism awareness training for stewards.
British Jews, the group said, are not being given adequate reassurance that they would be “physically and psychologically safe” at the capital’s flagship LGBT+ event.
A Keshet UK spokesperson said, “British LGBT+ Jews deserve the space to celebrate our identity alongside all other LGBT+ people in the UK. We are hugely disappointed in Pride in London. We hope that Pride in London will reflect on the fact that, for two years now, KeshetUK has felt forced to withdraw.”
KeshetUK, which has coordinated Jewish participation in Pride for over a decade, said it first reached out in July 2024 but received no reply until early this year. A meeting finally took place only “a few weeks ago”, the group said.
At that meeting, KeshetUK made several requests, among them, antisemitism training for volunteer stewards, which it said were made “in good faith”. But all were turned down.
The charity said it “desperately” wanted to participate in Pride, describing the event as a “celebration of our dual identities as Jews and as LGBT+ people”. But in the absence of meaningful safety guarantees, it could not in good conscience encourage community members to attend.
While KeshetUK will not march this year, it confirmed that other Jewish LGBT+ groups are planning alternative events on the day and that further details would be shared soon.
The charity, which works across Jewish schools, synagogues and community organisations of all denominations, said it remains open to marching in future years, but only with the “reassurance” it believes the community “deserved and is entitled to”.
In a statement to Jewish News, Pride in London said, “We remain open to continued dialogue with KeshetUK, as we have expressed to the organisation directly. Our safety protocols are developed through extensive collaboration with city agencies and security professionals to protect all participants.”
