Starmer says some pro-Palestine marches could be stopped

Sir Keir Starmer has suggested some pro-Palestine marches could be stopped because of their impact on the UK's Jewish community.

It comes amid warnings from authorities of a "deeply troubling rise" in antisemitic incidents across the country.

Asked if he wanted tougher policing of language used during marches, or if he wanted to stop some demonstrations altogether, the prime minister said: "I think certainly the first, and I think there are instances for the latter."

There had already been calls to suspend pro-Palestine marches, with the government's independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, Jonathan Hall KC, urging a "moratorium" on such demonstrations, saying it was "impossible" for them not to "incubate" antisemitism.

But the Stop The War coalition defended the marches, writing on X: "There is no threat whatsoever to the Jewish community from these marches and in fact they are attended by thousands of Jewish people often in a Jewish bloc and are completely safe - which they wouldn't be if these were antisemitic marches."

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Sir Keir said he wants to see "tougher action" taken against protesters who use certain phrases at pro-Gaza demonstrations.

The marches have become a source of concern after Wednesday's stabbing of two Jewish men in Golders Green, northwest London, which was declared a terrorist incident by police.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Saturday, he said a "whole of society response" was needed to combat a rise in antisemitism, alongside "further powers" to police demonstrations.

Sir Keir said protesters at the marches have a responsibility to call out those chanting "globalise the intifada", after he signalled on Thursday that he supported prosecuting those who use the phrase.

'There should be tougher action'

Critics believe the phrase is a call to use violence against Israelis, and Jewish people more widely.

He 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."

He added that "when you see, when you hear some of those chants... then clearly there should be tougher action in relation to that".

Meanwhile, the UK terrorism threat level was this week raised to "severe" by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre, meaning a terror attack is "highly likely", after the Golders Green incident.

Stephen Parkinson, director of public prosecutions, said: "Recent events, including the appalling attack on members of the Jewish community in London, come against a deeply troubling rise in antisemitic incidents across the country."

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The prime minister called Green Party leader Zack Polanski "disgraceful" and "not fit to lead any political party" for reposting criticism online of the officers who arrested the Golders Green suspect.

Mr Polanski, who was also criticised by Metropolitan Police chief Sir Mark Rowley, 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.

On Saturday, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch criticised Sir Keir for his lack of action on tackling antisemitism.

She said: "Enough with the platitudes, we need action. We need to shame people who think antisemitism is acceptable."

Alleged attacker Essa Suleiman, 45, is accused of trying to murder Shloime Rand, 34, and Norman Shine, 76, during Wednesday's knife rampage in Golders Green.

Suleiman, who was born in Somalia and came to the UK legally as a child in the 1990s, is also charged with the attempted murder of long-time friend Ishmail Hussein, earlier the same day at a property in Southwark, south London.

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