Protesters have duty to call out ‘globalise the intifada’ chants – Starmer
Sir Keir Starmer's been speaking amid concerns about the growing threat to British Jews
Protesters have a responsibility to call out those chanting “globalise the intifada” at Gaza marches, Sir Keir Starmer has said, amid concerns about the growing threat to British Jews after the Golders Green stabbing.
The Prime Minister also suggested he wanted to see “tougher action” against people using certain phrases at Gaza demonstrations, but stopped short of agreeing with calls for a ban on the marches.
His latest intervention comes amid repeated warnings from the authorities of a “deeply troubling rise” in antisemitic incidents across the country in the wake of the double stabbing in Golders Green on Wednesday.
The UK terrorism threat level has been raised to “severe” by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre, meaning a terror attack is “highly likely”, after two Jewish men were stabbed in the incident.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Sir Keir said: “I will defend the right of peaceful protest very strongly and freedom of speech. I have defended those principles all my life and I will continue to do so. And so I’m not stepping back from that one bit.
“But if you are on a march or a protest where people are chanting, ‘globalise the Intifada’, you do have to stop and ask yourself, why am I not calling this out? Why am I on a march where this is the chant? And I do think it’s time for people just to ask themselves that.
“I’m not saying, of course, that there aren’t very strong legitimate views about the Middle East, about Gaza. We all have deep concerns about it. This Government has recognised Palestine just last year. So, of course, there are important issues.”
Sir Keir suggested he was not in favour of banning the marches as a whole, and instead suggested a “whole of society response” was needed to draw attention to antisemitism, alongside “further powers” to police demonstrations.
On Thursday, the Prime Minister suggested he was in favour of prosecuting those who use the phrase “globalise the intifada”, which critics believe is a call to use violence against Israelis, and Jewish people more widely.
Speaking to the BBC, Sir Keir said: “I don’t want to get involved in operational policing, but I think when you see, when you hear some of those chants, ‘globalise the intifada’… the one that I would pick out, then clearly there should be tougher action in relation to that.
“Now, that’s not a discussion that has only been had this week in response to this awful incident. That is a discussion we’ve been having with the police for some time.”
Elsewhere in the interview, the Prime Minister defended two police officers from criticism for kicking the Golders Green stabbing suspect as they tried to disarm him.
In footage shared on social media, the officers appeared to kick the 45-year-old suspect in the head after they had used a Taser to force him to the ground.
Sir Keir said: “There’s a guy on the ground, he’s got a rucksack on. And I don’t know what was going through the mind of those officers, but if I was there, I’d be thinking, he’s going to detonate something. He’s going to blow me up and everybody around here.
“In those circumstances, I think you can quite see why what could have gone through their mind is, we need to do whatever we can to disable this guy.”
The Prime Minister also branded Green Party leader Zack Polanski “disgraceful” and “not fit to lead any political party” for reposting criticism of the officers online.
The Green leader, who was also criticised by Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley for his actions, has apologised for “sharing a tweet in haste”.
Sir Mark told the Times that British Jews are facing their greatest ever threat in the wake of a recent spates of attacks on their community.
He also said that Jews are at the centre of a “ghastly Venn diagram” of hate from all sides, and warned antisemitism is a growing threat to their safety in part because of social media.
Stephen Parkinson, Director of Public Prosecutions, meanwhile, said there was a “deeply troubling rise in antisemitic incidents across the country”.
Sir Mark also said he is “concerned” about the scale of upcoming protests in the capital, and said police are looking at what conditions and powers should be used in respect of those events.