Palestinian-supporting demonstrations called 'not in keeping with British values' after Manchester synagogue terror incident, UK home secretary asserts
News Agency
The Home Secretary voiced regret that Palestinian-supporting demonstrations proceeded on Thursday following the terror attack that claimed two lives outside a Jewish place of worship in the city of Manchester.
The home secretary also urged demonstrators to "step back" from plans to organize marches in the days ahead.
"I do think that carrying on in this manner appears contrary to British values, it feels misguided," she remarked about protests scheduled for this weekend.
Protesters in downtown London demonstrating against the Israel's naval forces intercepting a flotilla transporting aid to Gaza had confrontations with law enforcement outside the Prime Minister's residence on Thursday night.
Substantial groups holding Palestinian flags and banners could be spotted on the government district throughout the evening.
The Metropolitan Police announced that fourty individuals had been arrested. A half-dozen of those arrested were detained over assaults on police officers.
"It is important to draw a line between events unfolding in the Middle Eastern region and situations developing at home," the minister stated during a morning news program on Friday.
"My message would be to individuals who are intending to go on a protest is to reconsider briefly for a moment, and think about if you had suffered the loss of a loved one to a terrorist incident in this nation," she emphasized.
There were "robust" measures to protect the freedom to protest, she stated, but they could be superseded on the recommendation of the police.
"I can take my lead from the law enforcement, if they were to advise me there was an lack of capacity to handle and to control the demonstrations, then there are legal measures that are accessible," she clarified.
Community leaders express concerns
The UK's Chief Rabbi remarked that many members of the Jewish population wondered why protests in solidarity of Palestinian causes had been permitted to proceed.
The group was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in the summer. At various protests after that, hundreds have been detained for showing support for the group, which has won permission to dispute the restriction.
"A portion of them contain explicit anti-Jewish sentiment, direct backing for Hamas. Not everyone involved, however there is a significant amount of such content, which clearly poses dangerous to many within our community," the chief rabbi declared.
"It's impossible to disconnect the rhetoric on our streets, the conduct of individuals in this way, and what subsequently occurs, which was Thursday's terrorist attack."
Additionally, he urged the government "yet again", to "take control on these protests, they are harmful."