Hundreds of Jewish supporters gathered outside Downing Street last night to demand Sir Keir Starmer take action to protect the community following the stabbing of two Jewish men in Golders Green. Protesters shouted 'shame' and called for 'actions, not words' from the Prime Minister.
Heavy Police Presence at Rally
There was a heavy police presence on Whitehall last night as protesters assembled for the evening rally organised by the Campaign Against Antisemitism. Stephen Silverman, of the organisation, told the crowd: 'Vandalism, arson, fire bombing, harassment, violent assault have all become commonplace in the daily lives of the Jewish community, and today, it is a miracle that we are not mourning another two Jewish deaths following yesterday's terror attack in Golders Green.'
'And once again, the man who lives in the house over there - although invited to address us - has refused to take a few minutes out of his day, to join us and tell us what his plan is for dealing with what is now a national emergency.' Asked what the PM had done to protect British Jews, the crowd shouted: 'Nothing.'
Placards and Flags
Holding up placards saying 'Jew hate is a national emergency' and 'Prime Minister, what is your plan', those gathered also held up Union Jacks as well as Israeli flags. Addressing the crowds, former Tory minister Jacob Rees-Mogg denounced anti-semitism, saying: 'Let us call it what it is. It is evil. It is the depths of evil where people are being killed purely for their religion.'
Tory peer Lord Toby Young told those gathered: 'We only have to imagine how much poorer our country would have been without the contributions of British Jews over the last 200 years to grasp just how much poorer we'll be without them in the future. Prime Minister, we need to protect this precious, vital, patriotic minority. If we want them to stay, it's time for us to show how much we love them.'
Arrest and Counter-Protest
As members of the Jewish community and their supporters gathered last night, one man was arrested at the scene for shouting: 'F*** Israel.' Three pro-Palestine protesters walked past shouting: 'Free, free Palestine. From the river to the sea.' Earlier in the day, police denied pro-Palestine activists permission to gather outside Downing Street after they attempted to stage a rival last-minute protest which would have clashed with the rally.
Members of the CAA criticised the timing of the rally just a day after the stabbings and an hour before their rally. Asked about the decision to hold a protest at the same time as the Jewish community, Mr Silverman added: 'Well, look, that's emblematic of the problem, isn't it? We've almost had another two dead Jews, this time on the streets of the capital. And the response is to turn out, clearly with the intention to interfere with our rally in support of the Jewish community. So that tells you exactly where we are.'
He said his message to Sir Keir was: 'Words aren't enough. A vague plan isn't enough. We need timescales. We need clear, tough action executed by determined, robust people, because this isn't now about throwing money at the problem. It's not about ensuring we arrest and prosecute more people. It's about rolling back the radicalism that has spread into every corner of our civic life over the last two and a half years.'
Pro-Gaza Rival Protest
On Wednesday, the CAA had said it was calling a 'national emergency' rally following the Golders Green attack. Yesterday, pro-Gaza activists said they would hold a rival protest just an hour earlier. They were moved to outside the Greek embassy to protest against Israel detaining a Green Party candidate who had attempted to sail to Gaza. The protest was announced by the Canary, a left-wing website, which urged supporters to 'mobilise' outside Downing St before the pro-Gaza protest.
It said the rally was in aid of Zak Khan, a Green Party candidate for Hampshire County Council, who supporters claim was kidnapped by Israel. The organisation said 22 boats had been intercepted by the Israeli military and 175 people had been captured while 36 are still travelling towards Gaza. The flotilla set sail two weeks ago, with a total of 58 vessels joining from Spain, France and Italy, aiming to break Israel's blockade of Gaza.
Last October, Israel's military intercepted about 40 boats from the organisation, arresting more than 450 participants, including the activist Greta Thunberg. Before he sailed this week, Mr Khan was pictured wearing a Palestine Action hoodie, despite the organisation being proscribed in the UK. In a post from two weeks ago announcing his trip, he said: 'I joined the Green Party because of its stance on Palestine.'
Asked ahead of the rally whether members of the Green Party would be taking part, and whether it was aware of the CAA rally before the pro-Gaza protest was announced, a spokesman said: 'The Green Party opposes antisemitism and is in favour of getting aid to Gaza.' Labour MPs also backed the protest, with Bell Ribeiro-Addy tweeting: 'Last night, Israel's navy committed an act of armed piracy in international waters, threatening unarmed civilians aboard @gbsumudflotilla. Our government must condemn this attack, extend diplomatic protection to British participants and work to ensure safe passage.'
