Scotland Yard has banned a pro-Palestine march from gathering outside the BBC’s London headquarters next week, owing to its proximity to a synagogue.
Protesters were planning to gather outside Broadcasting House in Portland Place on Saturday before marching to Whitehall. On Thursday evening, police said they had imposed the Public Order Act to prevent the rally from gathering in the area as it risked causing “serious disruption” to a nearby synagogue on the Jewish holy day, as congregants attend Shabbat services.
The Metropolitan police said they had “reflected on the views of local community and business representatives”, including congregation members at a synagogue a “very short distance” from the proposed rally meet-up point, before reaching its decision.
Earlier this week, the force told the protest organisers, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, to alter their plans in order to avoid disruption to worshippers at the synagogue and had threatened to impose the conditions to stop the rally.
In response to the Met’s demand, the PSC said on Wednesday it “utterly condemned” the use of “repressive powers”.
“The Palestine coalition rejects the implication that our marches are somehow hostile to or a threat to Jewish people,” the group had said in a previous statement. “The Met police have acknowledged there has not been a single incident of any threat to a synagogue attached to any of the marches.”
The Central Synagogue on Great Portland Street is a few hundred yards from Broadcasting House on Portland Place.
Thirteen Holocaust survivors and survivor descendants have signed a joint letter to oppose the Met’s decision to prevent the march from gathering outside the BBC.
“We are writing as Jewish Holocaust survivors, and descendants of survivors, to protest against this clear attempt to dissuade people from opposing the Gaza genocide,” the letter reads. “Along with thousands of other openly Jewish protesters, we have attended numerous Palestine demos in London and have received nothing but support and warmth from our fellow demonstrators.”
Commander Adam Slonecki, who is leading the policing operation in London that weekend, said the PSC had refused to change their plans and were “continuing to encourage protesters to form up in Portland Place”, giving the force “no choice but to use the powers available to us”.
He said police had taken into account the “cumulative impact of this prolonged period of protest”, with events often taking place on Saturdays and near synagogues.
“We know this has been a cause of increased concern for many Jewish Londoners who have altered their plans, avoided parts of central London and reduced attendance at religious services,” he said.
“We police without fear or favour and this decision was taken based on a detailed consideration of the evidence, not any outside influence.
“Some of the media coverage today makes reference to a letter sent to us from MPs and peers raising concerns about this protest. I want to be clear that our position was decided and communicated with the PSC prior to us receiving that letter. It had no impact on our decision making.”
The PSC had planned to assemble outside the corporation’s London headquarters for a march to Whitehall in protest against what organisers had described as the “pro-Israel bias” of the BBC’s coverage.
