Two people have been arrested on suspicion of shouting slogans calling for 'intifada' during a pro-Palestinian protest in London, police have confirmed. The arrests took place outside the Ministry of Justice in Westminster on Wednesday evening, bringing the total number of detentions at the demonstration to five, with others held for obstruction and public order offences.
The arrests came hours after the Metropolitan Police and Greater Manchester Police announced a change in approach, stating they would now arrest anyone chanting or displaying placards bearing the phrase 'globalise the intifada'. In a joint statement, Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley and GMP Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson said the words and chants used at protests 'have real-world consequences' and that, in light of recent violent attacks on Jewish people, they would 'recalibrate to be more assertive'.
The police chiefs acknowledged that the Crown Prosecution Service had previously advised that many such phrases did not meet prosecution thresholds, but argued that the escalating threat context required decisive action. They added that frontline officers would be briefed on the enhanced approach, which would also include the use of Public Order Act powers around London synagogues during services.
The move has been welcomed by Jewish community groups. The Community Security Trust described the announcement as 'not a moment too soon', while Campaign Against Antisemitism's chief executive Gideon Falter criticised the delay, saying police chiefs were 'only now waking up to the fact that people who call for intifada mean it'. However, Ben Jamal, director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, condemned the plan as 'political repression of protest for Palestinian rights', arguing that the word 'intifada' is not a call for violence.
The term 'intifada' literally means uprising or resistance and is used by Palestinians to describe uprisings against Israel. While some associate it with non-violent resistance, others, particularly in the Jewish community, view it as a call for violence, including suicide attacks. It will ultimately be for the courts to determine whether the chants constitute a criminal offence.
