Anyone who has visited the UK’s capital recently will know that the right to protest is alive and kicking. No matter how inflammatory the language, the Metropolitan Police are seemingly loath to intervene when it comes to the Islamic cause du jour. Back in June 2023, MET Chief Sir Mark Rowley insisted his force ‘cannot legally stop’ pro-Palestine protests. In November 2023, Rowley went further and defied government pressure to ban a pro-Palestine march, which was controversially scheduled for Armistice Day. Even after the synagogue attack earlier this month, the police refused an outright ban. Instead, in a statement on X, the MET urged the group to “do the responsible thing and delay or cancel their plans.” Starmer himself would go no further than imploring the protestors to “respect the grief of British Jews”.
