Pro-Palestinian protests described as 'un-British' after Manchester attack, British interior minister asserts

Demonstration image News Source

Britain's Home Secretary conveyed regret that Palestinian-supporting protests went ahead on Thursday evening after the terror attack that took the lives of two men near a synagogue in the city of Manchester.

The top security official also urged protesters to "reconsider" from plans to hold protests in the coming days.

"In my view that carrying on in this fashion seems contrary to British values, it seems wrong," she stated regarding protests planned for this week.

Demonstrators in downtown London demonstrating against the Israel's naval forces stopping a flotilla carrying humanitarian assistance to Gaza had confrontations with law enforcement near Downing Street on Thursday night.

Numerous people displaying flags of Palestine and signs could be observed on Whitehall throughout the night.

The Metropolitan Police reported that fourty individuals had been arrested. Six of those arrested were charged with attacks against police officers.

"It's essential to establish separation between events unfolding in the Middle Eastern region and situations developing at home," the home secretary stated during a television interview on Friday morning.

"I would say to people who are considering to join a demonstration is to just take a step back for a short while, and think about if you had suffered the loss of a family member to a terrorist incident in this country," she continued.

There were "substantial" authorities to defend the freedom to protest, she stated, but they could be overridden on the guidance of the police.

"I can follow guidance from the law enforcement, if they were to inform me there was an insufficient resources to manage and to control the protests, then there are legal measures that are available," she elaborated.

Community representatives voice apprehensions

The UK's senior rabbinical leader commented that many people of the Jewish population wondered why marches in solidarity of Palestinian causes had been permitted to proceed.

The group was outlawed as a prohibited organization in the summer. At multiple protests since then, numerous individuals have been taken into custody for demonstrating backing for the group, which has won authorization to dispute the proscription.

"A portion of them feature blatant antisemitism, outright backing for the militant group. Not all participants, however there is considerable of these elements, which undoubtedly represents dangerous to many within our society," the religious leader stated.

"You cannot separate the speech on our public spaces, the conduct of individuals in this manner, and what inevitably results, which was Thursday's terrorist attack."

Additionally, he urged the administration "yet again", to "get a grip on these protests, they are harmful."

Mark Williams
Mark Williams

A passionate travel writer and local guide with over a decade of experience exploring Italy's coastal regions and sharing authentic stories.