Jewish leaders have criticised the organisers of a pro-Palestine march on Saturday in London that is planned to take place near a London synagogue despite conditions imposed by the Metropolitan Police.
The police used powers under the Public Order Act to prevent the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) and others gathering for the start of the march in Portland Place, near Central Synagogue.
But the organisers have since announced plans to reverse the route and end the rally in Portland Place outside the headquarters of the BBC.
The Jewish Leadership Council, the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Community Security Trust released a joint statement on Tuesday calling for the upcoming march to avoid Portland Place (a few hundred yards away from Central Synagogue).
The community organisations made clear they do not oppose the right to protest, but object to a march taking place near a synagogue during Shabbat services.
“This Saturday’s National March for Palestine must not take place in the vicinity of BBC given its proximity to a synagogue and the impact on worshippers,” the statement said.
“We support the right to peaceful protest and are not asking for this march to be banned.
“However, we support the Metropolitan Police in imposing conditions to protect those who are attending Central London synagogues.
“Other routes and days are available. This march must not be allowed in the vicinity of a synagogue at any time on Saturday.”
On Sunday, the PSC released an open letter signed by 13 Holocaust survivors and descendants condemning the police’s attempt to move the start-up point for the march.
A separate letter criticising the police position has been signed by more than 700 people “who identify as Jewish”, including Sir Geoffrey Bindman KC, author Gillian Slovo and actress Miriam Margolyes.
The letter said, “As Jews we are shocked at this brazen attempt to interfere with hard-won political freedoms by conjuring up an imaginary threat to Jewish freedom of worship.”
Two-thirds of British Jews said they would avoid city centres where pro-Palestine protests are taking place for fear of their safety as a Jew, however, according to an Institute for Jewish Policy Research survey published a year after the October 7 attacks.
More than three-quarters — 79 per cent — considered the phrase “globalise the Intifada” on pro-Palestine demonstrations offensive, while 76 per cent said the same about “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”.
Rabbi Daniel Epstein from Western Marble Arch Synagogue has called the PSC’s reaction a “disgrace”.
Speaking to the JC, he criticised the organisation for “misframing” the issue.
“They’re trying to frame the people who are not in favour of the march as being not in favour of protest, and actually it’s completely cynical. As if we’re anti-democracy and anti-freedom.”
He said that those who have an issue with the march are not trying to limit the freedom to protest but instead trying to protect the freedom of religious expression for Jews.
In response to the 700 Jews who had signed the letter advocating for the march, Rabbi Epstein said: “Judaism is in favour of free speech and protest. The entire Jewish community is comfortable with it.
“In fact, we are the protectors of protest and demonstration. We are the countercultural voice against the empires who decided that tyranny was the way to go.”
He accused the PSC of “weaponising the very freedoms” that Jews have fought for throughout history.
“To use [the right to protest] to cynically discriminate against the very group who throughout western civilisation have been the voice of protest against tyranny is the absolute lowest,” he said.
The PSC originally planned to begin outside the BBC’s Broadcasting House to protest against alleged pro-Israel bias in its coverage of the Middle East.
Last week, the Met announced it had moved to prevent the protesters assembling so near a shul on Shabbat, which, it said, would risk causing “serious disruption”.
On Monday night, the PSC announced its intention to gather at Whitehall and march to the BBC — a reversal of the original route but not one sanctioned by the police.
But in response, the Met released a statement to make clear that the route was “not one we have agreed and it would breach the conditions that have been imposed under the Public Order Act”.
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) has announced a new route for its march this Saturday (18 January).
Our position on this announcement is set out below. pic.twitter.com/VNe9WjIVV5
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) January 13, 2025
Police were due to discuss the route with the organisers today.
Organisations such as Friends of Al-Aqsa, one of the coalition partners behind the march, have publicly said they would ignore the Met’s conditions and protest regardless.
“We will make sure that we turn up,” said Ismail Patel, chairman of Friends of Al-Aqsa. “I will be there, even if they ban us, and if it means me going in the prison, because I think that this is worth it for freeing the people of Palestine and freeing humanity.”
Stop the War, another organising entity, has also released a statement, asserting that “the Palestine movement will be marching on January 18”.