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The chiefs of Greater Manchester and Metropolitan police forces have announced that protesters chanting “Globalize the intifada” will now be arrested.
A statement from Sir Stephen Watson, Chief Constable of Greater Manchester and Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley It comes as the “context has changed” in the wake of the terrorist attack on a Jewish festival in Sydney that killed 15 people.
The surviving suspect is 24-year-old Naveed Akram He was charged with 15 counts of murder and terrorist attack After the incident that happened in Sydney, Australia on Sunday.
Akram and his 50-year-old father Sajid are accused of opening fire on a crowd of over 1,000 people. Hanukkah was celebrated in the Archer Park area of Bondi Beach on Sunday evening,
The announcement of police forces comes after Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis previously said it should be made clear that slogans such as “globalization of the intifada” are “unlawful”. The Met and Greater Manchester Police said they would “take decisive action and make arrests”, adding that the measures were designed to “prevent bullying”.
Sir Mark and Sir Stephen said in a joint statement: “The words and chants used, particularly at protests, matter and have consequences in the real world. We have been consistently advised by the CPS that many of the phrases that instilled fear in Jewish communities do not meet the threshold for prosecution. Now, in the context of the growing threat, we will recalibrate to be more assertive.
“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 taken place, the context has changed – words have meanings and consequences. We will act decisively and make arrests.”
“Frontline officers will be briefed on this enhanced approach. We will also use powers under the Public Order Act, including around London synagogues during services.”
According to the Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU), intifada is an Arabic word meaning “to shake”. The American Jewish Committee describes it as “a phrase used by pro-Palestinian activists to call for aggressive resistance against Israel and those who support Israel”.
But its meaning is disputed, with protesters claiming it is a call to “shake off” colonialism and peaceful resistance to Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and crackdown in Gaza.
The police force’s announcement has been welcomed by the charity Community Security Trust (CST), which provides security for Jewish people in Britain.
A spokesperson said: “The recent terrorist attacks in Bondi and Heaton Park were abhorrent, leaving the Jewish community feeling fearful and unsafe. These attacks come amid a deeply worrying increase in anti-Semitism, which has created fear and uncertainty for Jewish people across the country.
“For many years, CST has called for tough action against hateful and violent slogans and placards at protests and this announcement is not a moment too soon. Particularly, given the wave of terrorism against Jews around the world, it is intolerable that calls for a global “intifada” should be allowed on our streets.
“We welcome the news that arrests will now be made over this behaviour. This is a necessary and important first step in turning back this tide of violent incitement and we hope that police and the CPS across the country will follow suit.
“CST will continue to work closely with police and our partners to ensure that Jewish life in this country is protected.”
Sajid Akram was shot by police at the scene of the attack in Sydney, and two officers were also shot during the shootout. Naved Akram is under armed security cover at the hospital.
As well as the murders, he is charged with 40 counts of wounding/grievous bodily harm to a person with intent to murder, discharging a firearm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, public display of a symbol of a banned terrorist organization and placing explosives in/near a building with intent to cause harm.
Chief Crown Prosecutor Lionel Idan, head of hate crimes for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Our thoughts are with the Jewish community following the despicable terrorist attack on innocent people in Sydney as they began to celebrate Hanukkah.
“We are already working closely with police and communities to identify, charge and prosecute anti-Semitic hate crimes and we will always look at ways we can do more.
“We carefully consider every anti-Semitic hate crime case referred to us for a decision or preliminary advice to see whether it can be taken to court.
“Some crimes may be context specific and where the evidence is not sufficient, we will work with the police to identify what more can be done to meet the threshold for charging.
“We have initially responded to the Government’s hate crime review to identify where the law can be strengthened to enhance our ability to prosecute such hate, deter offenders and achieve justice for victims.”