Kemi Badenoch has condemned pro-Palestine marches in Britain as 'carnivals of hatred directed at the Jewish homeland', speaking at the Conservative party conference. The party leader accused the government of allowing extremism to go unchecked, and called for a ban on the demonstrations.
Badenoch said chants such as 'from the river to the sea' and 'globalise the intifada' were calls for the erasure of Jewish lives or for violence against Jewish people. She insisted that while people may think and say what they like within the law, they have 'no right to turn our streets into theatres of intimidation'.
The comments come as ministers plan to give police greater powers to restrict protests by considering their 'cumulative impact'. Meanwhile, the government faces pressure from all sides over its approach to demonstrations, with organisers of protests against the banning of Palestine Action pledging a 'major escalation'.
Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick also addressed the conference, urging colleagues to 'get out of their suits and Westminster' and use social media to 'shame authorities into action'. He said the party must demonstrate it has changed, and suggested a rebrand to 'New Conservatives' to signal a fresh start.
