PM urges protesters to ‘respect grief of British Jews’ ahead of weekend events

Sir Keir Starmer has urged people planning to protest in Manchester and London this weekend to “respect the grief of British Jews” as he said demonstrations could cause further pain to mourners.

The Prime Minister is the latest figure to tell activists to reconsider whether they should attend pro-Palestine protests, days after two people were killed and others were injured during a terror attack on a synagogue in Manchester.

Writing in The Jewish Chronicle, Sir Keir said: “I urge anyone thinking about protesting this weekend to recognise and respect the grief of British Jews this week.

“This is a moment of mourning. It is not a time to stoke tension and cause further pain.”

Meanwhile Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar said he had spoken to Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and urged the Government to “fight the pro-Palestinian marches and protests”.

The protest in central London, organised by the protest group Defend Our Juries, is set to go ahead.

The group claimed: “Cancelling peaceful protests lets terror win.”

Meanwhile a similar event held by Greater Manchester Friends of Palestine, which has taken place regularly in the last two years, is also due to happen.

It was referenced by members of the public who heckled Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy when he spoke at a vigil near the attack on Friday.

Both the Metropolitan Police and Greater Manchester Police have raised concerns about the strain on police resources during the protests and called for organisers to cancel them.

Officers have been deployed to synagogues and other Jewish buildings to offer protection and reassurance in the aftermath of the attack.

Questions have also been raised over the insensitivity of marches.

On Friday, the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police Sir Stephen Watson urged would-be attendees at the protest to “consider whether this is really the right time”.

He added: “You could do the responsible and sensitive thing and refrain, on this occasion, from protesting in a manner which is likely to add to the trauma currently being experienced by our Jewish community.”

Around 1,500 people, “including priests, vicars, pensioners and healthcare workers”, are expected to attend the protest in Trafalgar Square on Saturday.

The previous two events have seen a total of 1,422 people arrested, the majority for supporting a proscribed organisation.

A Defend Our Juries spokesman said it “stood in solidarity” with the Jewish community over the attack.

He said: “It couldn’t be clearer that tomorrow’s action, which is in Trafalgar Square and not near any synagogue, is about defying the Government’s absurdly authoritarian proscription of Palestine Action and the Government’s complicity in the genocide being committed by the Israeli government.

“Yesterday’s attack was actual terrorism and we join others across the country in condemning it unreservedly and we urge the Home Secretary and the police to prioritise protecting the community, instead of arresting entirely peaceful protesters.

“Cancelling peaceful protests lets terror win.

“It’s more important than ever to defend our democracy, including our fundamental rights to peaceful protest and freedom of speech, and to take a stand tomorrow against killing and against oppression, and for peace and justice for all.”

The Metropolitan Police has said it will pull in officers and resources from neighbouring forces if necessary to police the protest.

The Met has continued to urge the group to call off its plans, in a statement which echoed the earlier sentiments of Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood.

In a statement, the force’s Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said: “At a time when we want to be deploying every available officer to ensure the safety of those communities, we are instead having to plan for a gathering of more than 1,000 people in Trafalgar Square on Saturday in support of a terrorist organisation.

“By deliberately choosing to encourage mass law breaking on this scale, Defend Our Juries are drawing valuable resources away from the communities of London at a time when they are needed most.”

He added: “Continuing such protests within hours of Thursday’s awful terrorist murder of British Jews, when communities are most fearful, will likely create further tensions and some might say lacks sensitivity.”

Sir Stephen urged protesters in Manchester to reconsider.

The Chief Constable said: “I am directly appealing to all those who might be intending to protest this weekend to consider whether this is really the right time.”

He added: “I would call upon the common decency and humanity of all people across Greater Manchester to aid us in seeking to support our Jewish communities following such a horrific attack.”

Elsewhere, the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) said it plans to hold a demonstration outside Downing Street next Thursday, to mark a week following the Manchester terror attack.

A spokesperson for the CAA said: “The time for dialogue, platitudes, and lip service has passed.

“Britain can no longer afford excuses while our Jewish community faces terror on our streets.

“On Thursday evening, we will be protesting outside Downing Street to demand action, not empty words.”