A pro-Israel demonstrator mocked the Metropolitan Police today during a protest in London.
The protester could be seen wearing a hoodie carrying the message “please do not arrest me”, after a video was released online of a Jewish man being held by police during a pro-Palestine march in the capital last week.
Footage of Gideon Falter, the chief executive of the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA), appeared on X in which a police officer told him that he was being prevented from walking freely through the streets of London for his own safety as he was “openly Jewish” and there was a pro-Palestine march taking place.
The video then shows Mr Falter being threatened with arrest if he does not comply with the officer’s demand to stay where he is.
In response, a pro-Israel protester wore a “please do not arrest me” hoodie today in the face of Met Police officers, who were policing the rally and counter-rally on London’s Tottenham Court Road.
The fiery protests took place around a branch of Barclays, over the bank’s links to Israel. Palestine protesters chanted ‘From the River to the Sea’, and according to the Telegraph one demonstrator made a throat-cutting gesture, which Scotland Yard said it was investigating.
The pro-Israel demo was organised by Enough Is Enough, and protesters could be heard chanting “terrorist supporters off our streets” and “rape is not resistance”. They could be seen holding placards and banners which said: “Hamas Are Terrorists” and “Remember the hostages kidnapped by Hamas.”
Following Mr Falter’s treatment last week, the Met Police issued a statement. However the force later had to apologise, as it was considered to be “victim-blaming” the CAA chief executive.
Following the incident, in which an officer told Mr Falter he was in “breach of the peace” for being “openly Jewish”, Scotland Yard apologised for the officer’s use of the phrase.
However, campaign groups said the apology did not go far enough, with CAA claiming the original statement was “appalling and abject victim-blaming” due to the wording used, because it did not address the fact the officer had told him to leave the area.
A statement from CAA read: “What is ‘provocative’ is telling a Jewish Londoner that his presence will ‘antagonise’ crowds and that unless he leaves he will be arrested.”
In the wake of the backlash, the force issued a second apology, saying apologising for the first.
It read: “We have reflected on the strength of the response to our previous statement. In an effort to make a point about the policing of protest, we caused further offence.
“This was never our intention and we apologise. Being Jewish is not a provocation. Jewish Londoners must be able to feel safe in this city.
“Our commitment to protecting the public extends to all communities across London. It’s important that our public statements reflect that more clearly than they did today.”
