The right to protest against the Genocide in Gaza is once again being challenged by the Police and the political establishment. The Police are threatening to impose significant restrictions on our ability to march in the vicinity of parliament on July 6th. We believe the key aim is to ensure an incoming (Keir Starmer) Government is not confronted, with the views of hundreds of thousands of people demanding an end to the genocide.
For nearly 9 months we have coordinated 15 national marches each attended by unprecedented numbers, which alongside days of action in towns and cities and workplaces across the UK have amplified the demand for an end to all UK complicity in Israel’s oppression of the Palestinian people.
The political establishment has sought to demonise those protesting for peace and justice. The police have responded to this pressure by consistent and unprecedented usage of orders to control the marches even whilst admitting that they have been overwhelmingly peaceful. The last march attended by over 175k led to only 2 arrests, one for an offence allegedly committed at a previous demonstration.
Over a month ago we informed the Met Police that we intended to march again on July 6th to demand the new Government acts to end the genocide. We met with the police to discuss the proposed route to Whitehall/Parliament Square on June 21st and no serious objections were raised. On June 26th the police informed us that they would not allow a march anywhere in that vicinity. Vague reasons related to the need for tourists, businesses, the media, and Government personnel to have completely unimpeded access to all of that area for the entire day were cited.
Given the fact that these issues were not raised when we originally announced our intention over a month ago, nor when we met with the Police Gold Commander on June 21st it seems clear to us that the real issue is the desire of an incoming government not to have images of protest about Palestinian rights in the centre of London to be a defining image of Keir Starmer’s first days of office. The Police have indeed indicated that they would agree to a march which took place well away from the Parliament area, outside of central London.
On June 27th, we offered a compromise of assembling in Parliament Square and marching to the Israeli Embassy. This was rejected, without any clear rationale. Today we have written to the Police offering a further compromise, of a march assembling on the Embankment and marching via Parliament Square to the Israeli Embassy, keeping Whitehall entirely clear.
We remain clear in our intention to march peacefully on July 6th. The Police suggesting they will impose orders to prevent this in the Parliamentary area is a threat to fundamental right to protest. We are now publicly calling on the Met Police to respond positively to our latest proposal, so that the fundamental democratic right for people to protest in the vicinity of the seat of power is upheld.
Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Palestinian Forum in Britain
Friends of Al-Aqsa
Stop the War Coalition
Muslim Association of Britain
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
01.07.2024
