A key amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill will empower police to stop protests likely to intimidate or discourage people from entering synagogues or other places of worship.
The legislative shift follows months of concern over pro-Palestinian demonstrations held near synagogues on Shabbat mornings, which some say have led congregants to stay away from services.
“Over many months, the Board of Deputies and CST worked closely with the police to show the cumulative impact of Palestine demonstrations going close to synagogues on Shabbat,” said a spokesperson for the Board of Deputies.
“Finally, on 18 January, this detailed approach helped the police to decide not to allow the demonstration to again impact on our synagogues. The change of route and police conditions were backed by the Home Secretary.”
That decision, to block a planned Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) march near the BBC headquarters due to its proximity to Central Synagogue, was seen as a landmark moment. It was followed by a meeting between communal groups and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, who introduced the amendment in March.
The provision, passed on Friday, allows police to impose conditions on protests “that may intimidate people and deter those people from accessing or carrying out religious activities at a place of worship,” according to the government.
It does not set a defined perimeter, leaving officers discretion to act on a case-by-case basis. Existing parts of the bill also outlaw the use of face coverings, climbing on statues, and the throwing of fireworks during protests.
Andrew Gilbert, Vice President of the Board of Deputies, said the update would have far-reaching benefits: “This amendment won’t just help our community but will help other religious communities too, whether a Christian community on a Sunday or a Muslim community on a Friday.
“It is so important in our community that we respect each other’s right to worship and celebrate our religion alongside our rights to peacefully demonstrate.”
He described the PSC’s repeated bids to march past Jewish areas on Saturdays, including Marble Arch and the BBC, as “regrettable”, and pointed to a recent protest in Westcliff, Essex, which passed through a Jewish area with multiple synagogues.
“The legislation would also have ensured the demonstration in Westcliff would not have happened on that route,” he added.
Gilbert said the new powers should mark “a return to Shabbat worship in peace in our city centre”.
