The UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, has voiced his concerns about a pro-Palestinian march that is set to take place on Armistice Day. Sunak has stated that he will be holding the Metropolitan Police chief “accountable” for the handling of the event, which has been labelled “provocative and disrespectful” by the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson. Although the PM has not put any pressure on Sir Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, to ban the march, the Chancellor believes it is his duty to ensure that measures are put in place to protect the public.
Organisers have refused to cancel the demonstration despite calls to do so from the government and military veterans. The Metropolitan Police have requested that the event be postponed, saying it would not be “appropriate,” and have expressed their concerns about the risk of disorder. However, Rowley has said that banning the protest would be a “last resort” and that the power to do so is “incredibly rare.”
The march is part of a series of global protests that have taken place since the start of the Israel-Gaza war. Protest organiser Chris Nineham from the Stop the War Coalition has stated that measures are taken to ensure no violence or antisemitism is present at their demonstrations. Still, pressure groups including the Campaign Against Antisemitism have called for the event to be banned, claiming that previous demonstrations have met the threshold for public disorder.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer will hold a meeting with Sir Mark Rowley to seek further assurances that the police will be “robust” in their handling of the march and will safeguard remembrance for the nation this weekend while keeping the public safe. Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer has urged people to attend remembrance events despite tensions surrounding the march
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