Police pressure leads to cancelled pro-Israel rally in north London

This was a Christian led rally that should have taken place yesterday. There are serious questions being asked about the conduct of the Metropolitan Police concerning policing since the terrorist massacre, and generally.

Police pressured organisers of a pro-Israel prayer walk in a Jewish area of London to cancel the event on the same day as a pro-Palestinian march in central London took place, The Telegraph can disclose.

Christian Action Against Anti-Semitism called off a planned “Pray for Israel and the Jewish People” event after police warned that participants could be “injured or intimidated”.

Organisers of the prayer walk in Golders Green, north London, (very Jewish area, relatively prosperous.  The working class Jews of the East End moved moved out to Gants Hill in Redbridge; that is now a Muslim area and they have moved further into Essex. As have we all.) who were expecting up to 30,000 people to attend, said they felt “silenced” by the police who allowed a pro-Palestine rally to go ahead with an estimated 100,000 participants in central London on the same day.

Hayley Ace, of Christian Action Against Anti-Semitism, said the organisation had originally planned to hold an event to pray for peace and pray for the Jewish community outside the Israeli embassy.  She added that the group moved the event after police said it could be dangerous to host it there because of the planned pro-Palestine march in central London.

They moved the event miles away from the central London rally in Golders Green after consulting the Jewish community. However, two days before the planned pro-Israel walk, police advised the organisers to cancel the event.

Ms Ace said the organisation received an urgent call from police on Thursday saying that the event had gone viral and was being portrayed as an attack on Muslims. She added the police strongly advised, based on intelligence, that the event could not go ahead.

In a follow-up email, seen by The Telegraph, a police sergeant said: “Your planned event on Saturday was picked up by an individual and retweeted. It received a lot of views. Unfortunately we have now identified tweets calling on ‘brothers’ to make their way to Golders Green on Saturday. This would clearly present a threat to your event.”

He added: “I understand your frustration but you have made the right decision to cancel your event. The police do not want anyone to be injured or intimidated regardless of their beliefs or allegiances. Please put out the cancellation within your own social media groups as soon as possible.”

Ms Ace said “It felt like a silencing.”

As my favourite comment says ” (the police) merely pointed out that the Islamist and Left-wing thugs were plotting to attack the march, and there’d be a real risk of violence, and “nice march, be a shame if anything bad happened to it…”

Jonathan Turner, chief executive of UK Lawyers for Israel, said: “Those who hate Israel and Jews are given full liberty and licence to parade their hate, spout their false propaganda and incite violence on the streets of London, while those who sympathise with the victims must hide away because the police can’t or won’t protect them.  . . We urge the police and politicians not to accept this intimidation, and we thank the true Christian and other friends who are willing to stand up for what is right.”

Meanwhile The Home Secretary will hold a meeting with Sir Mark Rowley on Monday after officers took no action when supporters of an extremist Islamist group chanted: “Jihad, jihad, jihad” during a protest in London on Saturday.  The comments came after Robert Jenrick, the immigration minister, reprimanded the Met for its response to the “completely reprehensible” behaviour, saying the chant was “inciting terrorist violence” and should be tackled with “the full force of the law”.

Don’t hold your breath, Sadiq Khan holds this city. He looks dreadful lately. Even before the massacre in Israel the opposition to ULEZ looked to be wearing him down. But I doubt he’s going anywhere, any time soon.