LONDON, Nov 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Rishi Sunak backed the “right to peacefully protest” even as he branded a controversial pro-Palestinian rally due to take place in London this weekend “disrespectful” to the UK’s war veterans.
After discussing with the capital’s top police officer, the British prime minister issued a statement Wednesday evening saying the country could “survive the discomfort and frustration” it might cause this coming Saturday.
The solidarity march coincides with Armistice Day, which commemorates the end of World War I. The Palestine Solidarity Campaign, who organized the event, have stressed it will avoid any remembrance activity and focus on calls for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.
The planned demo has sparked a heated debate in the UK about the trade-offs between free speech and security amid renewed Middle East conflict.
Sunak’s statement came just after he quizzed Metropolitan Police chief Mark Rowley on the force’s decision to allow the protest, despite calls from some quarters for it to be banned.
In his post-meeting statement, Sunak said the upcoming weekend should mark a moment of “quiet reflection to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for this country.”
And he said: “It is because that sacrifice is so immense, that Saturday’s planned protest is not just disrespectful but offends our heartfelt gratitude to the memory of those who gave so much so that we may live in freedom and peace today.”
But, the prime minister added, “Part of that freedom is the right to peacefully protest. And the test of that freedom is whether our commitment to it can survive the discomfort and frustration of those who seek to use it, even if we disagree with them. We will meet that test and remain true to our principles.”
The Metropolitan Police Service is operationally independent of the British government. The Public Order Act allows Rowley to ask the British home secretary’s permission to ban or place conditions on protests.
But the police chief has said the legal threshold to stop the march on security grounds has “not been met” and warned there must be “a real threat of serious disorder and no other way for police to manage the event” for the police to take such a step.
“Over recent weeks we’ve seen an escalation of violence and criminality by small groups attaching themselves to demonstrations, despite some key organizers working positively with us,” he said. “But at this time, the intelligence surrounding the potential for serious disorder this weekend does not meet the threshold to apply for a ban.”
Sunak said Wednesday night that he had asked Rowley to “provide reassurances that the police are taking every step necessary to safeguard remembrance services” and “keep the public safe from disorder this weekend.” — NNN-AGENCIES
