UK pro-Palestine protest organisers 'alarmed' after Sunak warns war memorial risks 'desecration'
The New Arab Staff
04 November, 2023
Pro-Palestinian protest organisers have expressed alarm after UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said planning protests for Armistice Day, when people mourn those killed in World War One next weekend, was 'provocative and disrespectful'.
Pro-Palestinian protests have been taking place in the UK and other countries for weeks [Loredana Sangiuliano/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty-archive (21 October 2023)]
Pro-Palestinian protest organisers have expressed alarm after UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said an important London war memorial risked desecration next weekend on Armistice Day, an annual date of mourning for those killed in World War One.
Six pro-Palestinian groups – the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Friends of al-Aqsa, the Stop the War Coalition, the Muslim Association of Britain, the Palestinian Forum in Britain, and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament – have organised a march in London for 11 November.
They have been holding weekly demonstrations in the British capital and elsewhere amid Israel's indiscriminate war on Gaza, which has so far killed nearly 9,500 people in the besieged enclave.
Sunak wrote to Mark Rowley, commissioner of London's Metropolitan Police, saying that planning protests for Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of World War One in 1918, was "provocative and disrespectful".
He added that there was a "clear and present risk" that London's key Cenotaph war monument and other memorials "could be desecrated".
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Sunak said he had asked Home Secretary Suella Braverman to support the Met Police in doing "everything necessary to protect the sanctity of Armistice Day" as well as Remembrance Sunday the following day – another occasion for mourning.
Sunak, who said "a number of protests are currently planned to disrupt" acts of remembrance next weekend, listed powers available to the police to deal with demonstrations, including putting conditions in place. He added that decisions to use these powers were independent of politicians.
Braverman said it was "entirely unacceptable to desecrate Armistice Day with a hate march through London", adding that if the protest takes place there is an "obvious risk of public disorder, violence, and damage" and "giving offence to millions of decent British people".
But the six pro-Palestinian groups issued a statement saying they had been clear they didn't intend to march on or near Whitehall, where the Cenotaph is located, so as not to disrupt events at the memorial.
"We are alarmed by members of the government, including the prime minister, issuing statements suggesting that the march is a direct threat to the Cenotaph and designed to disrupt the Remembrance Day commemorations," they said.
"Such statements are encouraging the calls from far-right activists and commentators who appear to be inciting action on the streets to stop the protests taking place and are deeply irresponsible.
"Given the wider context of the previous statements by the home secretary seeking to demonise all of those marching in support of the rights of the Palestinian people, it is clear that these further statements are motivated by a desire to suppress widespread public support for an end to Israel's bombardment of the people of Gaza."
The pro-Palestinian groups said their planned route is from Hyde Park to the US embassy and they anticipate the march will start at about 12:45, almost two hours after a commemorative two-minute silence is held at 11:00.
Rowley, the Met Police commissioner, replied to Sunak's letter by saying the force would take a "robust approach".
He said he had set out his intent to use all powers available, including imposing conditions if necessary, to ensure events in Whitehall and elsewhere "are not undermined".
Rowley said the rights to peaceful assembly and protest are protected by law but must be balanced against other responsibilities.
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"I am acutely aware that as we balance these rights we must consider the cumulative impact of continued protest, increasing community tensions, rising anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim hate crimes and the very real concerns of Jewish communities about safety in London," he added.
"This impact means our approach is becoming sharper and will continue to develop in the coming days and be kept under continued review."
It comes as the British Transport Police said they had made five arrests for alleged failure to comply with a notice banning a pro-Palestinian protest at the major King's Cross train station in London on Friday.
The government's transport secretary, Mark Harper, said he had given consent for police to make an order to stop the demonstration.
Pro-Palestinian protesters rally in Sydney, demand Gaza ceasefire
Amidst escalating violence in Gaza, hundreds of pro-Palestinian supporters converged in central Sydney on Saturday to fervently call for an immediate ceasefire.
The demonstrators gathered in Hyde Park, unfurling a vast Palestinian flag, brandishing signs, and using symbolic imagery like bloodied baby dolls to convey the harrowing consequences of the conflict. Subsequently, they embarked on a march through the heart of the city, determined to draw attention to their cause.
One of the activists, Assala Sayara, voiced her frustration with the international community’s response to the ongoing crisis, underscoring that insufficient efforts have been made to advocate for a ceasefire.
The Israeli military has launched a multi-faceted offensive in Gaza, including air strikes, a blockade, and ground operations, sparking international concern over the deteriorating humanitarian conditions within the enclave. Essential resources, such as food and medical services, are in critically short supply, exacerbating the crisis. According to Gaza health officials, the conflict has claimed the lives of over 9,250 Palestinians, intensifying the urgency for a resolutio
Jenipher Camino Gonzalez
An estimated 3,000 people marched in the western German city of Essen to protest Israel's ongoing offensive in Gaza.
Thousands gathered in Essen to protest against the Israel's military operation in Gaza
Christoph Reichwein/dpa/picture alliance
Some 3,000 people in the western German city of Essen on Friday took part in a pro-Palestinian demonstration protesting against the ongoing Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip.
The pro-Palestinian demonstration had been planned in advance and was escorted by heavy police presence.
It comes as tensions in Germany have been high, with several cities and municipalities banning anti-Israel protests and pro-Palestinian protests.
What happened during the protest?
Friday's rally in Essen was the largest of its kind in the industrial city since the war between Israel and Hamas, the militant-Islamist group that controls Gaza, began.
"Gaza under attack – together against injustice" was the theme of the demonstration.
Some 3,000 people in the western German city of Essen on Friday took part in a pro-Palestinian demonstration protesting against the ongoing Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip.
The pro-Palestinian demonstration had been planned in advance and was escorted by heavy police presence.
It comes as tensions in Germany have been high, with several cities and municipalities banning anti-Israel protests and pro-Palestinian protests.
What happened during the protest?
Friday's rally in Essen was the largest of its kind in the industrial city since the war between Israel and Hamas, the militant-Islamist group that controls Gaza, began.
"Gaza under attack – together against injustice" was the theme of the demonstration.
Local media reported that protest was separated by gender, with women marching together behind men
Christoph Reichwein/dpa/picture alliance
Local newspaper Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (WAZ) reported that the demonstration was separated by gender, with men marching at the front and the women in the back.
Demonstrators held signs denouncing Israel's bombardment of Gaza, the child casualties and Germany's support for Israel.
Police sources said the protest was peaceful and reported no incidents.
Local newspaper Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (WAZ) reported that the demonstration was separated by gender, with men marching at the front and the women in the back.
Demonstrators held signs denouncing Israel's bombardment of Gaza, the child casualties and Germany's support for Israel.
Police sources said the protest was peaceful and reported no incidents.
Heavy police presence escorted the demonstration through the western German city
Christoph Reichwein/dpa/picture alliance
Germany on edge
The demonstration also comes a day after Germany's Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck warned the country about the rise in antisemitism and its relationship to the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Habeck appealed to Muslim associations to "clearly distance themselves from antisemitism so as not to undermine their own right to tolerance."
This report was written in part with material from news agency DPA.
Edited by: Rebecca Staudenmaier
The demonstration also comes a day after Germany's Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck warned the country about the rise in antisemitism and its relationship to the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Habeck appealed to Muslim associations to "clearly distance themselves from antisemitism so as not to undermine their own right to tolerance."
This report was written in part with material from news agency DPA.
Edited by: Rebecca Staudenmaier
Germany bans Hamas activities, dissolves Samidoun group
November 2, 2023
Germany's Interior Ministry has announced a ban on pro-Palestinian group Samidoun and completely outlawed activities linked to the Islamist militant group Hamas. But what does the tightening of the law mean?
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser announced the bans on Thursday morning
What do the bans mean?
The ban establishes a legal framework to fully stop the activities of the groups. It means anyone who continues to be active in any way for either organization is committing a criminal offense.
The decision allows authorities to confiscate any of the groups' assets, and it outlaws any internet presence or social media activities by them.
Hamas was already banned, but the latest move further outlaws any activities linked to it, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser explained.
"With Hamas, I have today completely banned the activities of a terrorist organization whose aim is to destroy the state of Israel," Faeser said in a statement.
The German domestic intelligence agency BfV estimates that some 450 people in the country actively support Hamas, which carried out the massacres in Israel.
Meanwhile, Faeser said Samidoun's German wing had shown itself to be part of an international network that spreads anti-Israel and antisemitic propaganda under the guise of solidarity for Palestinian prisoners.
Samidoun was behind an action in which a group of people handed out pastries in a Berlin street in celebration of Hamas's attack.
"Holding spontaneous 'jubilant celebrations' here in Germany in response to Hamas's terrible terrorist attacks against Israel demonstrates Samidoun's antisemitic, inhuman worldview in a particularly sickening way," Faeser said
Faeser said Samidoun's German branch would be dissolved and that this would "put an end to these activities in Germany."
"There is no place for antisemitism in Germany, and we will fight it with all our might," she added.
Praise from police union
Germany's police union (GdP) said the ban was helpful and had made the legal situation a lot clearer when it came to cracking down on pro-Hamas activities.
"The protection of Jewish life in Germany has the highest priority, and therefore we will also fight this terrorist organization in Germany with toughness and professionalism," said Jochen Kopelke, the union's national chairman.
rc/sms (dpa, AP)
Germany's Interior Ministry has announced a ban on pro-Palestinian group Samidoun and completely outlawed activities linked to the Islamist militant group Hamas. But what does the tightening of the law mean?
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser announced the bans on Thursday morning
Michael Kappeler/dpa/picture alliance
Germany has announced a ban on Samidoun, a group that says it advocates for Palestinian prisoners, and imposed further prohibitions to stamp out support for the Islamist militant group Hamas, which Berlin already lists as a terrorist organization.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz had announced that the government planned to take action against the two groups in the days that followed the October 7 massacres in Israel that killed some 1,400 people.
Germany has announced a ban on Samidoun, a group that says it advocates for Palestinian prisoners, and imposed further prohibitions to stamp out support for the Islamist militant group Hamas, which Berlin already lists as a terrorist organization.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz had announced that the government planned to take action against the two groups in the days that followed the October 7 massacres in Israel that killed some 1,400 people.
What do the bans mean?
The ban establishes a legal framework to fully stop the activities of the groups. It means anyone who continues to be active in any way for either organization is committing a criminal offense.
The decision allows authorities to confiscate any of the groups' assets, and it outlaws any internet presence or social media activities by them.
Hamas was already banned, but the latest move further outlaws any activities linked to it, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser explained.
"With Hamas, I have today completely banned the activities of a terrorist organization whose aim is to destroy the state of Israel," Faeser said in a statement.
The German domestic intelligence agency BfV estimates that some 450 people in the country actively support Hamas, which carried out the massacres in Israel.
Meanwhile, Faeser said Samidoun's German wing had shown itself to be part of an international network that spreads anti-Israel and antisemitic propaganda under the guise of solidarity for Palestinian prisoners.
Samidoun was behind an action in which a group of people handed out pastries in a Berlin street in celebration of Hamas's attack.
"Holding spontaneous 'jubilant celebrations' here in Germany in response to Hamas's terrible terrorist attacks against Israel demonstrates Samidoun's antisemitic, inhuman worldview in a particularly sickening way," Faeser said
Faeser said Samidoun's German branch would be dissolved and that this would "put an end to these activities in Germany."
"There is no place for antisemitism in Germany, and we will fight it with all our might," she added.
Praise from police union
Germany's police union (GdP) said the ban was helpful and had made the legal situation a lot clearer when it came to cracking down on pro-Hamas activities.
"The protection of Jewish life in Germany has the highest priority, and therefore we will also fight this terrorist organization in Germany with toughness and professionalism," said Jochen Kopelke, the union's national chairman.
rc/sms (dpa, AP)
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