UK Government Accuses Police of Pro-Palestinian Bias Over Marches

Facts

• The UK government criticized London's police chief on Thursday over the department's handling of a pro-Palestinian march this weekend scheduled on Armistice Day — which commemorates the end of WWI — accusing the police of taking a more lenient approach towards left-wing issues.¹
• Home Secretary Suella Braverman accused the force of applying a 'double standard' to its policing of pro-Palestine protests, saying that aggressive right-wing protesters were treated more harshly than 'pro-Palestinian mobs.'²
• Braverman referred to the pro-Palestine demonstrators, who have been calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict, as 'hate marchers.' Such protests have been held in London and other UK cities every weekend since the war began over a month ago after Hamas's deadly surprise attack against Israel.³
• UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that he would hold the chief of the Metropolitan Police, Sir Mark Rowley, 'accountable' for allowing the protests to go ahead on Armistice Day. According to Sunak, Rowley said that he 'can ensure that we safeguard remembrance for the country this weekend as well as keep the public safe.'⁴
• Rowley argued that the 'legal threshold' to stop the protest on security grounds had not been attained, saying that he would ensure that the protests would not interfere with remembrance and armistice events.⁴
• Protests have continued since the onset of the war in Gaza, with demonstrations taking place in the US, Europe, the Middle East, and beyond.⁵

Sources: ¹Reuters, ²BBC News, ³ABC News, ⁴Sky News and ⁵FT.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Daily Mail. It's a great shame that the Met Police continue to allow these demonstrations on the streets of London. Protesters, many of whom have espoused pro-Hamas views are spreading fear. Saturday brings a high level of risk due to the Met's willful inaction.
• Narrative B, as provided by The National. Freedom of speech is a core principle in Western democracies, even when that speech may be uncomfortable. The overwhelming majority of protesters have acted peacefully and the Met has correctly assessed the level of risk. It is imperative that the UK's leadership balances national security and freedom of expression and follows the Met's lead.

Predictions