Thousands march against antisemitism in London as Tommy Robinson arrested - latest
Crowds gathered to show solidarity with the Jewish community in the UK as more hostages released from Hamas captivity
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Tens of thousands of people attended a march against antisemitism in London on Sunday amid fears about rising antisemitic incidents sparked by the crisis in the Middle East.
The event was held the day after the latest in a series of pro-Palestinian protests in the capital called again for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Former prime minister Boris Johnson was among those attending and compared antisemitism with “an old spore of a virus”.
Tommy Robinson was arrested at the march after organisers had raised concerns and police warned the far-right was “not welcome”.
There was only one other arrest at the event, which was organised by the charity Campaign Against Antisemitism.
It came as the Israeli military said that 14 Israelis and three foreign nationals had been released from captivity in Gaza, on the third day of a four-day truce.
The father of a young Irish-Israeli girl released by Hamas on Saturday has said she is doing “better than expected”, and has thanked the public for their support. Thomas Hand had feared his daughter Emily had been killed in the Hamas attacks but they were reunited at the weekend
Peter Kyle says Britain engulfed by ‘tsunami of antisemitism'
Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Peter Kyle said he was speaking “very proudly” as deputy of Labour’s Friends of Israel.
He said: “We all wait with deep anxiety as we await the release of further hostages. To be here and stand shoulder to shoulder with British Jews.
“I am enormously proud of the leadership Keir Starmer has shown in combatting antisemitism and standing up for the Jewish British community,
“We cannot escape and cannot ignore the tsunami of antisemitism that has swept the country since October 7.
“Your community will never stand alone.”
Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis has said British Jews ‘will not be intimidated' by antisemitism.
Speaking at Sunday’s march in Parliament Square he said: “Since October 7 we have witnessed here in the UK an alarming rise of antisemitism, but we will not be intimidated.
“We call for a strengthening of community cohesion and we will forever be proud to champion the finest of British values.
“So with regard to the poisonous spread of antisemitism, what should the response of the British people be?
“Number one, call it out when you see it. Number two, call it by what it really is – Jew hatred.
“Number three, be vigilant and report every incident. Number four, we must arrest every single perpetrator and bring every single one of them to justice.
“Number five, we must teach our children that the superheroes of our society are those who pursue peace and loving kindness, and not those who glorify violence and murder, and we must teach people that they must draw their conclusions from historical facts and not from what they see and hear on social media.”
Gideon Falter, the chief executive of Campaign Against Antisemitism, condemns ‘appalling’ signs seen at pro-Palestinian marches
Addressing Sunday’s march at Parliament Square, he said: “Since October 7, antisemitic crime has surged in this country by over 1,000%.
“Demonstrations marched through our cities, marched through our capital where people glorify terrorism, where people incite racism against Jews.
“And indeed, as we saw yesterday, yet again, carrying placards showing a Star of David thrown in the bin with a caption that says ‘please keep the world clean’, messaging that would not have been out of place in 1930s Germany, it is appalling.”
Tracy-Ann Oberman addresses crowds
Former EastEnders actress Tracy-Ann Oberman told marchers: “We’re seeing a frightening and swift rise in antisemitism, Jewish attacks on our children not being able to go to school wearing their blazers with a Jewish insignia or skullcaps, our children and ourselves advised to take off any sign of being Jewish.
“I have so many friends and neighbours and people who contact me on social media saying they will take their mezuzahs off their doors, that they feel frightened, they feel isolated and alone.
“But we are not alone. We are a successful and flourishing multi-ethnic and multi-faith capital city of a multi-ethnic and multi-faith country.
“A tolerant democracy where all racism, including racism against Jews, is not tolerated.
“We have to call out antisemitism for what it is, it is an incitement to hatred, it is an incitement to divide.”
Happy-Go-Lucky actor Eddie Marsan called for moderate people to ‘face down extremism and bigotry’
He told the antisemitism march in London: “Fundamentalists always scream loud to drown out the voice of reasonable people, moderate people.
“Well in my experience people aren’t moderate because they’re turning a blind eye to injustice, people are moderate because they can see both sides of the debate, both sides of an argument, and they can sense the greater truth.
“But I think now it’s time for moderate people in this country to stand up and face down extremism and bigotry and antisemitism and Islamophobia and all forms of racism.
“So I’m here today to defend my culture, my culture is diversity and I’m proud of my culture.
“And I’m also here to stand in solidarity with my Jewish friends, the people I grew up with, the people I went to school with, the people I work with, and I tell you all you are not alone.”
Countdown’s Rachel Riley called on people to ‘get serious' about tackling antisemitism.
Speaking in Parliament Square she said: “We’ve learned from history the sharp price to be paid when good people stay silent and I’m grateful to each and every one of you here today for refusing to be bystanders.
“We’re going to have to get serious about fighting this now if we want to turn things around.
“We’re going to start having to have tough conversations. We’re going to have to stand up to the mob and we’re going to need strong stomachs.
“But together I believe we can and we will.”
Just two arrests as 105,000 March Against Antisemitism
The Met Police have said they have arrested a man heard making antisemitic comments as 105,000 depart the March Against Antisemitism.
The force posted on X: “The March Against Antisemitism has concluded.
“As the crowds left along Whitehall, a man was heard to make antisemitic comments.
“He was arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence.
“In total, there were two arrests during today’s operation.”
Antisemitic offences ramped up in October
In the first 18 days of October, there was a 1,353% increase in antisemitic offences and a 140% rise in Islamophobic offences, the Met Police said at the time.
The Community Security Trust, which collects reports of antisemitism in the UK, recorded at least 805 antisemitic incidents between 7 and 27 October; the highest ever recorded in a 21-day period.
Tell Mama, which counts Islamophobic incidents, recorded 291 incidents of anti-Muslim hate between 7 and 19 October, a sixfold increase on the same period last year.
Vanessa Feltz and friends sing and dance at front of March Against Antisemitism
Immigration minister Robert Jenrick and security minister Tom Tugendhat joined celebrities including Vanessa Feltz, Tracy-Ann Oberman, Rachel Riley and Robert Rinder at the march, which saw marchers join in singing as they proceeded through the city.
Organisers called the rally the largest gathering against antisemitism London had seen since the Battle of Cable Street in 1936, when hundreds of thousands of people blocked a planned march by Sir Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists through an area populated by many Jewish families.
Tens of thousands attend march against antisemitism in London
Tens of thousands of people gathered in central London to march against antisemitism in what activists have called the largest gathering of its kind since 1936.
The demonstration organised by Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) drew a number of well-known figures including former prime minister Boris Johnson.
The former PM said that he was attending in solidarity with Jewish people as he said recent pro-Palestinian protests in the capital had confirmed his belief of “the absolutely human necessity for Israel to exist”.
Maira Butt reports:
Tens of thousands attend march against antisemitism in London
Chief Rabbi Mirvis called for a ‘strengthening of community cohesion’ amid reports of a rise in antisemitism
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