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A former top judge has called for a ban anti-semitic chants But pro-palestine march Prosecuting the case would be “extraordinarily difficult”.
weather police and manchester police It was announced on Wednesday that anyone who raised controversial slogans such as “globalize the intifadawill face arrest in view of terrorist attack on bondi beach and terrorist attack Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester On 2 October.
But when asked whether the law allows people using those slogans to be prosecuted in court, Lord Sumption, former Supreme Court judge Said there were “obvious difficulties”, as under normal circumstances it is required to prove intent to incite violence against particular groups.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4 Today Speaking at the programme, he said: “What the law says is that if you hold placards containing threatening, abusive or insulting words with the intention of inciting violence against particular groups or people, and this is the important thing, it is a crime.
“It is also an offense to use language that incites racial hatred. But merely holding on to a political slogan, which is essentially what it is, would not be good enough under normal circumstances.
“I say under normal circumstances because the current circumstances are not normal…There is an electric atmosphere about Gaza and things that would normally be acceptable may be less acceptable under the current circumstances.”
He added: “I think it would be exceptionally difficult to justify a prosecution based on anything other than holding this placard. But I’m not saying it’s impossible.”
Sir Peter Fahy, a former chief constable in Greater Manchester, said this ambiguity makes it “extremely difficult” for police chiefs.
He explained: “A lot of it is very nuanced. It’s the intersection of public order law, law on protest, hate crime law, sometimes even anti-terrorism law. So it’s extremely complex.
“The government has made a number of announcements about changing some of those rules, but I don’t think they’ve been implemented. So for frontline officers, it’s very confusing.”
Two people were arrested on Wednesday after chanting “intifada” slogans, the Metropolitan Police said.
The arrests were made during a protest by pro-Palestinian demonstrators outside the Ministry of Justice in Westminster, London.
A third person was arrested for “obstructing” police as he made the first two arrests for chanting.
The Met later confirmed two further arrests for public order offences, one of which was racially aggravated, bringing the total number of arrests to five.
Prime MinisterAn official spokesperson said earlier this week that “free speech This is an important right in this country, which cannot extend to inciting hatred or harassing others”, he said, adding that police would use their powers “more forcefully” to tackle its spread. antisemitism,
The arrests mark a change in approach from both the Met Police and Greater Manchester Police, who had announced earlier on Wednesday that anyone chanting controversial slogans such as “Globalisation of the intifada” would face arrest.
While the move was welcomed by Jewish groups, Ben Jamal Palestine The Solidarity Campaign said this violates the right to protest, calling it “another low point in the political repression of protests for Palestinian rights”.
He said that the word intifada means “to rise up or rebel against injustice” and that “the implication is that the slogans used to support the liberation of the Palestinian people are open to interpretation only by those groups that have maintained support for it.” israelThe oppression of the Palestinian people and the denial of their rights is extremely problematic.
The American Jewish Committee describes the phrase as being used by “pro-Palestinian activists who call for aggressive resistance against Israel and those who support Israel”.
But its meaning is disputed, and protesters claim it is a call for a “shock” to colonialism and peaceful resistance to Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and crackdown in Gaza.
Britain’s Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis welcomed the decision, calling it “an important step towards challenging the hateful rhetoric” seen on Britain’s streets.
But the move has also been condemned as political repression by campaigners.
During pro-Palestine During a protest outside the Justice Ministry building, police officers moved into a crowd of about 100 people and escorted individuals into police vans.
It came as Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley and GMP Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson said circumstances had changed following the mass shooting at Bondi Beach.
In a rare joint statement, they said: “We know communities are concerned about placards and chants such as ‘Globalisation of the Intifada’, and anyone using them at future protests or in a targeted manner should expect action from the Met and GMP.
“Violent acts have happened, the context has changed – words have meanings and consequences.
“We will take decisive action and make arrests.”