Sunak U-turn as PM concedes pro-Palestine Remembrance Day march will go ahead
Amy-Clare Martin
Wed, 8 November 2023
Rishi Sunak has conceded that a pro-Palestine march will go ahead on Armistice Day but insisted the Metropolitan Police’s decision to allow the rally will be kept under “constant review”.
The prime minister summoned the Met’s commissioner to Downing Street on Wednesday to face questions on how he plans to keep the public safe, amid fears the “disrespectful” demonstration in London would disrupt Remembrance commemorations.
But in a statement following his talks with Sir Mark Rowley, Mr Sunak conceded that the right to peacefully protest was among the freedoms that veterans had fought for.
He claimed that while Saturday’s planned pro-Palestine march “is not just disrespectful but offends our heartfelt gratitude” to the nation’s war dead, we will remain “true to our principles” - including the right to peacefully demonstrate.
Mr Sunak said: “This weekend people around the UK will come together in quiet reflection to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for this country. It is not hyperbole to say that we are the beneficiaries of an inheritance born of their sacrifice.
“It is because that sacrifice is so immense, that Saturday‘s planned protest is not just disrespectful but offends our heartfelt gratitude to the memory of those who gave so much so that we may live in freedom and peace today.
“But part of that freedom is the right to peacefully protest. And the test of that freedom is whether our commitment to it can survive the discomfort and frustration of those who seek to use it, even if we disagree with them. We will meet that test and remain true to our principles.”
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley (PA) (PA Wire)
The u-turn comes after the prime minister warned Sir Mark that he will hold him “accountable” for his decision to greenlight the march, forcing the commissioner to pull out of a planned appearance at a Westminster think tank to join him for emergency talks.
Sir Mark has so far resisted mounting pressure on the force from politicians, including Mr Sunak and Suella Braverman, to block the protest calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
The country’s top officer insists concerns over unrest do not meet the threshold for a banning order, which can only be obtained from the home secretary if there is a “real threat” of serious disorder.
Mr Sunak said he had asked Sir Mark at the meeting to provide reassurances that the police are “taking every step necessary” to protect Remembrance events and keep the public safe from disorder.
He added: “It’s welcome that the police have confirmed that the march will be away from the Cenotaph and they will ensure that the timings do not conflict with any Remembrance events.
“There remains the risk of those who seek to divide society using this weekend as a platform to do so. That is what I discussed with the Metropolitan Police Commissioner in our meeting.
“The Commissioner has committed to keep the Met Police’s posture under constant review based on the latest intelligence about the nature of the protests.
“And finally, to our veterans and their families, I assure you that we will do everything it takes to protect this special weekend for you and our country, as we come together to reflect on those who protected our freedom.”
The prime minister’s apparent climbdown came after Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer accused Mr Sunak of “cowardice” for “picking a fight” with the Met, writing on X: “Remembrance events must be respected. Full stop.
“But the person the PM needs to hold accountable is his home secretary. Picking a fight with the police instead of working with them is cowardice.”
The Met had previously appealed for march organisers to “urgently reconsider” the event, citing concerns a rally was “not appropriate” during Remembrance weekend, but the pro-Palestinian coalition behind it refused to call it off.
Protesters during a pro-Palestine march organised by Palestine Solidarity Campaign in central London last month (PA Wire)
The coalition of groups, which includes the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), Stop the War and the Muslim Association of Britain, published their route on Wednesday, which will take demonstrators from Hyde Park at midday - about a mile from the war memorial in Whitehall - to the US embassy in Vauxhall, south of the Thames.
Organisers accused the government of “playing politics” and “stoking up fears” fears after the prime minister waded in to the debate, but insisted they won’t be deflected by the “deeply irresponsible” comments.
Mr Sunak’s intervention came as health secretary Steve Barclay insisted there should be “ongoing discussions” over Saturday’s march, which he described as “provocative”. His cabinet colleague Lucy Frazer, who is Jewish, also called for the Met to keep the “very provocative” march “under review”.
However Winston Churchill’s grandson Sir Nicholas Soames, a former armed forces minister, defended the right to protest.
“They’re there to express a deeply held view. And I think it must be allowed to go ahead and I think it would be a great mistake to play politics with it,” he told LBC.
Meanwhile, fears continue that far right groups and counter demonstrations could ramp up tensions or lead to clashes with pro-Palestine protesters.
In a video to his supporters on Wednesday, English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson called for others to join him in London on Saturday “to make sure that there is respect shown at our Cenotaph”.
He urged his supporters to behave with respect but added they should be “prepared to defend if they need to defend”.
A call to arms has also been issued by the Democratic Football Lads Alliance, a right-wing organisation that uses football fan networks to spread Islamophobic hate, to “join us in standing shoulder to shoulder with our veterans that fought for our freedom”.
Suella Braverman is 'out of control': Home secretary sparks fresh row over 'inflammatory' newspaper article
Sky News
Updated Wed, 8 November 2023
Suella Braverman
Home Secretary of the United Kingdom since 2022
Suella Braverman has been accused of being "out of control", as she continued her war of words with the Metropolitan Police after the commissioner resisted government pressure to ban this week's pro-Palestinian march.
In an article for The Times newspaper, the home secretary once again described pro-Palestinian protesters as "hate marchers".
And she went even further, adding: "I do not believe that these marches are merely a cry for help for Gaza.
"They are an assertion of primacy by certain groups - particularly Islamists - of the kind we are more used to seeing in Northern Ireland.
"Also, disturbingly reminiscent of Ulster are the reports that some of Saturday's march group organisers have links to terrorist groups, including Hamas."
Israel-Gaza latest: 'Security circumstance' forces Rafah border crossing to close
This led one former Tory cabinet minister to message Sky's Beth Rigby, saying: "This is wholly offensive and ignorant of where people in Northern Ireland stand on the issues of Israel and Gaza.
"It would be good to know what she knows about what Northern Ireland people think about the current Israel-Palestine situation before she casts aspersions.
"It's clear that the home secretary is only looking after her misguided aspirations for leader than responsible leadership as a home secretary".
In the article Ms Braverman also claimed a double standard exists within the Met.
"Right-wing and nationalist protesters who engage in aggression are rightly met with a stern response yet pro-Palestinian mobs displaying almost identical behaviour are largely ignored, even when clearly breaking the law?"
Calling for protests to be policed "even-handedly", the home secretary also questioned why protests for Black Lives Matter were allowed to go ahead during the COVID pandemic, while "lockdown objectors were given no quarter by public order police".
More on this story:
Does Braverman relish being controversial?
In words seeming to pile pressure on to Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, she concluded: "This weekend the public will expect to see an assertive and proactive approach to any displays of hate, breaches of conditions and general disorder."
In response to Ms Braverman's article, Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, described her as "out of control".
She wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: "Her article tonight is a highly irresponsible, dangerous attempt to undermine respect for police at a sensitive time, to rip up operational independence and to inflame community tensions.
"No other home secretary of any party would ever do this."
And London Mayor Sadiq Khan posted: "The home secretary's article in The Times is inaccurate, inflammatory & irresponsible.
"At a time when we should be seeking to unite communities - she is dividing them. The home secretary should support the police to keep everyone safe at this delicate time, not make their job harder."
And the Liberal Democrats have accused her of "running a Conservative Party leadership campaign, not the Home Office".
Earlier on Wednesday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak conceded that a pro-Palestinian march on Armistice Day will go ahead - but described the protest as "disrespectful".
Following a face-to-face meeting with Sir Mark, he said the chief of the Metropolitan Police would be held accountable for his decision to greenlight the demonstration.
He said in a statement: "Saturday's planned protest is not just disrespectful but offends our heartfelt gratitude to the memory of those who gave so much so that we may live in freedom and peace today.
"But part of that freedom is the right to peacefully protest. And the test of that freedom is whether our commitment to it can survive the discomfort and frustration of those who seek to use it, even if we disagree with them. We will meet that test and remain true to our principles."
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer had accused Mr Sunak of "cowardice" for "picking a fight" with the police.
He tweeted: "Remembrance events must be respected. Full stop.
"But the person the PM needs to hold accountable is his home secretary. Picking a fight with the police instead of working with them is cowardice."
Downing Street denied seeking to put pressure on the Met, which is operationally independent, and insisted the meeting was about "seeking assurances" that their approach is "robust".
Tens of thousands have demonstrated in London in recent weeks over Palestinian deaths in the Israel-Hamas war - with 29 arrested during a fourth week of protests last Saturday, during which fireworks were thrown.
Organisers of this Saturday's protest say it will be "well away" from the Cenotaph - going from Hyde Park, around a mile from the war memorial in Whitehall, to the US embassy - and won't start until after the 11am silence.
Met Police 'playing favourites' with protests, says Braverman
Charles Hymas
Sir Mark Rowley said that a march could only be banned in extreme circumstances - Ian Davidson/Alamy Live News
Mr Sunak said the Met had agreed that it would keep its decision on whether to apply to ban to the march “under constant review”, based on whether the intelligence changed.
Sir Mark has come under intense pressure from ministers, Tory MPs and Jewish groups to ban the demonstration, including a letter last Friday from Mr Sunak outlining the laws that could be used to prevent the protest from taking place.
On Tuesday, the commissioner said that a march could only be banned in extreme circumstances if there was a realistic “threat of serious disorder”, and that police intelligence on the demonstration did not currently meet that threshold. He warned that the law provided “no mechanism to ban a gathering, a static protest”.
Despite appeals from ministers and police chiefs to call off Saturday’s march, organisers have said they have no intention of cancelling it.
Mr Sunak added: “To our veterans and their families, I assure you that we will do everything it takes to protect this special weekend for you and our country, as we come together to reflect on those who protected our freedom.”
Earlier, Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, accused Mr Sunak of “cowardice” for “picking a fight” with the Met instead of Suella Braverman, the Home Secretary, who has described the protests as “hate marches”.
A total of 188 people have been arrested on suspicion of committing hate crimes or acts of violence linked to pro-Palestinian protests in recent weeks, Scotland Yard has said.
Almost 100 of the arrests relate to anti-Semitic offences, while 21 are linked to Islamaphobic incidents and 12 are associated with other faith hate crimes. Police have also made 57 arrests for public order offences, many of which were racially aggravated.
A total of 46 people have so far been charged with offences, including 19 accused of crimes involving anti-Semitism.
The Prime Minister faced a backlash from police over his intervention to hold Sir Mark accountable over Saturday’s policing of events.
Neil Basu, a former Met Police assistant commissioner, told LBC the pressure on the force amounted to the “end of operational independence in policing” and that the Government was “on the verge” of behaving unconstitutionally.
Ken Marsh, the Metropolitan Police Federation chairman, said ministers were setting the police up to fail by saying they would hold the force accountable. He said ministers should instead support the Met and frontline officers.
“If an incident flares up, the critics will enjoy languishing in their leather armchairs and telling us how we should have done it,” he said.
“It’s a really difficult one because there is passion on both sides. I am not taking a political stance on this one. I get it. Mark Rowley is of the opinion that it can go ahead and we can police it. Job done. It is unfair that politicians are coming out with talk of holding people to account.”
Sky News
Updated Wed, 8 November 2023
Suella Braverman
Home Secretary of the United Kingdom since 2022
Suella Braverman has been accused of being "out of control", as she continued her war of words with the Metropolitan Police after the commissioner resisted government pressure to ban this week's pro-Palestinian march.
In an article for The Times newspaper, the home secretary once again described pro-Palestinian protesters as "hate marchers".
And she went even further, adding: "I do not believe that these marches are merely a cry for help for Gaza.
"They are an assertion of primacy by certain groups - particularly Islamists - of the kind we are more used to seeing in Northern Ireland.
"Also, disturbingly reminiscent of Ulster are the reports that some of Saturday's march group organisers have links to terrorist groups, including Hamas."
Israel-Gaza latest: 'Security circumstance' forces Rafah border crossing to close
This led one former Tory cabinet minister to message Sky's Beth Rigby, saying: "This is wholly offensive and ignorant of where people in Northern Ireland stand on the issues of Israel and Gaza.
"It would be good to know what she knows about what Northern Ireland people think about the current Israel-Palestine situation before she casts aspersions.
"It's clear that the home secretary is only looking after her misguided aspirations for leader than responsible leadership as a home secretary".
In the article Ms Braverman also claimed a double standard exists within the Met.
"Right-wing and nationalist protesters who engage in aggression are rightly met with a stern response yet pro-Palestinian mobs displaying almost identical behaviour are largely ignored, even when clearly breaking the law?"
Calling for protests to be policed "even-handedly", the home secretary also questioned why protests for Black Lives Matter were allowed to go ahead during the COVID pandemic, while "lockdown objectors were given no quarter by public order police".
Does Braverman relish being controversial?
In words seeming to pile pressure on to Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, she concluded: "This weekend the public will expect to see an assertive and proactive approach to any displays of hate, breaches of conditions and general disorder."
In response to Ms Braverman's article, Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, described her as "out of control".
She wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: "Her article tonight is a highly irresponsible, dangerous attempt to undermine respect for police at a sensitive time, to rip up operational independence and to inflame community tensions.
"No other home secretary of any party would ever do this."
And London Mayor Sadiq Khan posted: "The home secretary's article in The Times is inaccurate, inflammatory & irresponsible.
"At a time when we should be seeking to unite communities - she is dividing them. The home secretary should support the police to keep everyone safe at this delicate time, not make their job harder."
And the Liberal Democrats have accused her of "running a Conservative Party leadership campaign, not the Home Office".
Earlier on Wednesday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak conceded that a pro-Palestinian march on Armistice Day will go ahead - but described the protest as "disrespectful".
Following a face-to-face meeting with Sir Mark, he said the chief of the Metropolitan Police would be held accountable for his decision to greenlight the demonstration.
He said in a statement: "Saturday's planned protest is not just disrespectful but offends our heartfelt gratitude to the memory of those who gave so much so that we may live in freedom and peace today.
"But part of that freedom is the right to peacefully protest. And the test of that freedom is whether our commitment to it can survive the discomfort and frustration of those who seek to use it, even if we disagree with them. We will meet that test and remain true to our principles."
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer had accused Mr Sunak of "cowardice" for "picking a fight" with the police.
He tweeted: "Remembrance events must be respected. Full stop.
"But the person the PM needs to hold accountable is his home secretary. Picking a fight with the police instead of working with them is cowardice."
Downing Street denied seeking to put pressure on the Met, which is operationally independent, and insisted the meeting was about "seeking assurances" that their approach is "robust".
Tens of thousands have demonstrated in London in recent weeks over Palestinian deaths in the Israel-Hamas war - with 29 arrested during a fourth week of protests last Saturday, during which fireworks were thrown.
Organisers of this Saturday's protest say it will be "well away" from the Cenotaph - going from Hyde Park, around a mile from the war memorial in Whitehall, to the US embassy - and won't start until after the 11am silence.
Met Police 'playing favourites' with protests, says Braverman
Charles Hymas
THE TELEGRAPH
Wed, 8 November 2023
Rishi Sunak had written to Scotland Yard to outline the laws that could be used to prevent a march - WPA Pool/Getty Images Europe
Suella Braverman has accused the Metropolitan Police of “playing favourites” with protesters, after the force decided not to seek a ban on a pro-Palestinian march planned on Armistice Day.
The home secretary claimed the Met employed a “double standard” by taking a softer approach towards “pro-Palestinian mobs” than right-wing and nationalist protesters.
In an article for the Times, Ms Braverman wrote that the marches were “an assertion of primacy by certain groups — particularly Islamists — of the kind we are more used to seeing in Northern Ireland.”
The protests must be policed “even-handedly”, Ms Braverman said, adding: “Unfortunately, there is a perception that senior police officers play favourites when it comes to protesters.
“During Covid, why was it that lockdown objectors were given no quarter by public order police yet Black Lives Matters demonstrators were enabled, allowed to break rules and even greeted with officers taking the knee?”
It came as Rishi Sunak accepted that the protest would go ahead, but warned the Met police commissioner that he will be held accountable if Remembrance events are disrupted.
The Prime Minister summoned Sir Mark Rowley to Number 10 for talks on Wednesday to seek assurances that Armistice and Remembrance events would be protected following the police’s decision not to seek a ban on Saturday’s pro-Palestinian march.
In a statement after the meeting, Mr Sunak said he still believed the protests were not only “disrespectful” but also “offended” the nation’s gratitude to the memories of those who gave their lives to protect freedom and peace.
He added: “But part of that freedom is the right to peacefully protest, and the test of that freedom is whether our commitment to it can survive the discomfort and frustration of those who seek to use it, even if we disagree with them. We will meet that test and remain true to our principles.”
The Prime Minister said he had received assurances from Sir Mark that the march would be kept away from the Cenotaph and Remembrance events, but warned that there was still a risk of violence and disruption by splinter groups seeking to exploit the protest.
Earlier in the day, Mr Sunak said Sir Mark had insisted he could “ensure that we safeguard Remembrance for the country this weekend as well as keep the public safe. He added: “Now my job is to hold him accountable for that.”
Wed, 8 November 2023
Rishi Sunak had written to Scotland Yard to outline the laws that could be used to prevent a march - WPA Pool/Getty Images Europe
Suella Braverman has accused the Metropolitan Police of “playing favourites” with protesters, after the force decided not to seek a ban on a pro-Palestinian march planned on Armistice Day.
The home secretary claimed the Met employed a “double standard” by taking a softer approach towards “pro-Palestinian mobs” than right-wing and nationalist protesters.
In an article for the Times, Ms Braverman wrote that the marches were “an assertion of primacy by certain groups — particularly Islamists — of the kind we are more used to seeing in Northern Ireland.”
The protests must be policed “even-handedly”, Ms Braverman said, adding: “Unfortunately, there is a perception that senior police officers play favourites when it comes to protesters.
“During Covid, why was it that lockdown objectors were given no quarter by public order police yet Black Lives Matters demonstrators were enabled, allowed to break rules and even greeted with officers taking the knee?”
It came as Rishi Sunak accepted that the protest would go ahead, but warned the Met police commissioner that he will be held accountable if Remembrance events are disrupted.
The Prime Minister summoned Sir Mark Rowley to Number 10 for talks on Wednesday to seek assurances that Armistice and Remembrance events would be protected following the police’s decision not to seek a ban on Saturday’s pro-Palestinian march.
In a statement after the meeting, Mr Sunak said he still believed the protests were not only “disrespectful” but also “offended” the nation’s gratitude to the memories of those who gave their lives to protect freedom and peace.
He added: “But part of that freedom is the right to peacefully protest, and the test of that freedom is whether our commitment to it can survive the discomfort and frustration of those who seek to use it, even if we disagree with them. We will meet that test and remain true to our principles.”
The Prime Minister said he had received assurances from Sir Mark that the march would be kept away from the Cenotaph and Remembrance events, but warned that there was still a risk of violence and disruption by splinter groups seeking to exploit the protest.
Earlier in the day, Mr Sunak said Sir Mark had insisted he could “ensure that we safeguard Remembrance for the country this weekend as well as keep the public safe. He added: “Now my job is to hold him accountable for that.”
Sir Mark Rowley said that a march could only be banned in extreme circumstances - Ian Davidson/Alamy Live News
Mr Sunak said the Met had agreed that it would keep its decision on whether to apply to ban to the march “under constant review”, based on whether the intelligence changed.
Sir Mark has come under intense pressure from ministers, Tory MPs and Jewish groups to ban the demonstration, including a letter last Friday from Mr Sunak outlining the laws that could be used to prevent the protest from taking place.
On Tuesday, the commissioner said that a march could only be banned in extreme circumstances if there was a realistic “threat of serious disorder”, and that police intelligence on the demonstration did not currently meet that threshold. He warned that the law provided “no mechanism to ban a gathering, a static protest”.
Despite appeals from ministers and police chiefs to call off Saturday’s march, organisers have said they have no intention of cancelling it.
Mr Sunak added: “To our veterans and their families, I assure you that we will do everything it takes to protect this special weekend for you and our country, as we come together to reflect on those who protected our freedom.”
Earlier, Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, accused Mr Sunak of “cowardice” for “picking a fight” with the Met instead of Suella Braverman, the Home Secretary, who has described the protests as “hate marches”.
A total of 188 people have been arrested on suspicion of committing hate crimes or acts of violence linked to pro-Palestinian protests in recent weeks, Scotland Yard has said.
Almost 100 of the arrests relate to anti-Semitic offences, while 21 are linked to Islamaphobic incidents and 12 are associated with other faith hate crimes. Police have also made 57 arrests for public order offences, many of which were racially aggravated.
A total of 46 people have so far been charged with offences, including 19 accused of crimes involving anti-Semitism.
The Prime Minister faced a backlash from police over his intervention to hold Sir Mark accountable over Saturday’s policing of events.
Neil Basu, a former Met Police assistant commissioner, told LBC the pressure on the force amounted to the “end of operational independence in policing” and that the Government was “on the verge” of behaving unconstitutionally.
Ken Marsh, the Metropolitan Police Federation chairman, said ministers were setting the police up to fail by saying they would hold the force accountable. He said ministers should instead support the Met and frontline officers.
“If an incident flares up, the critics will enjoy languishing in their leather armchairs and telling us how we should have done it,” he said.
“It’s a really difficult one because there is passion on both sides. I am not taking a political stance on this one. I get it. Mark Rowley is of the opinion that it can go ahead and we can police it. Job done. It is unfair that politicians are coming out with talk of holding people to account.”
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