Former top judge says ban on antisemitic chants at pro-Palestine marches ‘exceptionally difficult’ to prosecute
Why antisemitic chants at pro-Palestine marches are so difficult to prosecute
- A former Supreme Court justice, Lord Sumption, stated that prosecuting individuals for chanting slogans like 'globalise the intifada' would be 'exceptionally difficult' due to the legal requirement to prove intent to provoke violence or stir racial hatred.
- The Met Police and Manchester Police announced a new approach, stating that anyone chanting controversial slogans such as 'globalise the intifada' would face arrest, citing recent terror attacks.
- This change in policy led to five arrests during a pro-Palestinian protest outside the Ministry of Justice in Westminster, London, for shouting 'intifada' and other public order offences.
- While the Prime Minister's spokesperson and Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis welcomed the police's more robust stance against antisemitism, the move has been criticised by groups like the Palestine Solidarity Campaign as an infringement on protest rights.
- Critics argue that 'intifada' means 'shaking off or uprising against injustice' and is a call for peaceful resistance, while police chiefs acknowledge the legal ambiguity and complexity for frontline officers.