Thousands of people gathered outside Downing Street on Sunday to protest a rise in antisemitic hate crimes and violence, with senior politicians and interfaith leaders calling for unity. The 'Standing Strong: Extinguish Antisemitism' rally, backed by over 30 Jewish groups, drew crowds to Whitehall, where Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey, and Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice addressed attendees waving Israeli and union jack flags.
Labour’s Pat McFadden was met with boos and shouts of 'Where is Starmer?' as he took the stage, saying, 'I hear your anger, I hear your pain, I stand against antisemitism, I stand with you.' The Liberal Democrats’ Ed Davey also faced boos, while Badenoch and Tice received cheers and applause. The rally was organised in response to a marked increase in antisemitic incidents, including the stabbing of two Jewish men in Golders Green on 29 April, for which Essa Suleiman has been charged with attempted murder.
Strict security measures were in place around Whitehall, with protesters passing through metal detectors. Among attendees was 91-year-old Lionel Blumenthal from Golders Green, who said, 'I’m angry and horrified, this is not the country I grew up in, I no longer feel safe.' He called on all sections of the British community and politicians to denounce antisemitism. After the north London attack, the UK’s terrorism threat level was raised to 'severe' by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre.
Badenoch told the crowd, 'I’m not here to do politics today,' drawing parallels between the 7 October 2023 attack in Israel and the kidnapping of schoolgirls in Nigeria in 2014. Davey called for changes to the Prevent counter-terrorism programme and a zero-tolerance approach from police. Tice accused Labour of an 'absence of courage, of leadership,' saying 'the scourge of antisemitism has been allowed to flourish in our country.'
Attendees called for increased security for the Jewish community and an end to 'hate marches' in London, referring to pro-Palestinian demonstrations. Geraldine Hoynicki, 72, said she has never felt unsafe until this year, adding that the government has not done 'nearly enough' to combat antisemitism but is showing willingness. A letter signed by British Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Hindu and Zoroastrian leaders described antisemitism as 'a problem for all of us to fix.'
