The UK Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, is scheduled to meet with the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, on Monday to discuss the police’s response to incidents during a pro-Palestinian protest in London, according to reports. A video posted online over the weekend showed a man chanting “jihad” during an Islamist group rally that was separate from the main march. The Metropolitan police said that they did not identify any offences arising from the clip.
However, the home secretary wants to discuss the issue of incitement to hatred or violence in the context of the protest and will seek an explanation from Sir Mark Rowley. Ms Braverman had already scheduled the meeting with Sir Mark to discuss ongoing protests and combating anti-Semitism. Although a source close to the home secretary claims that the focus of the meeting was already on the agenda, Ms Braverman intends to question Sir Mark about his views on his police force’s response to Saturday’s incident.
The Metropolitan police estimated that up to 100,000 people gathered in central London on Saturday to show solidarity with Palestinian civilians. Over 1,000 officers were involved in policing the demonstration near Downing Street, and ten people were arrested in total. The arrests were due to possession of fireworks, public order, and assaulting an emergency service worker. Nonetheless, demonstrators carrying banners with the phrase “Muslim armies” and the chanting of “jihad” raised concerns regarding incitement, which the UK Government deems illegal.
The minister responsible for the UK Home Office, Robert Jenrick, appeared to agree that chanting “jihad” on the streets of London is reprehensible and should be tackled with the full force of the law. However, he acknowledged that any decision whether to press charges or take any further action was an operational matter for the police and the Crown Prosecution Service
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