To think that London, or anywhere else for that matter, does not belong to any one demographic

Anniebach

‘Everybody knows some of the marchers are anti semitic “

The police certainly know, critics on this thread certainly know

Of course we know that. Anybody who reads a newspaper or watches or listens to the news knows that. Has anyone on this thread denied it? No, they haven’t.

I did see the deleted post as anti semitic.

growstuff

eazybee

Is it an offence to walk against the flow of a demonstration?
Not waving flags, beating drums, chanting slogans or calling out abuse, surely provocative behaviour, but walking and filming, as some in the march were doing.
I do not believe he has damaged his cause, he has alerted many observers to the composition of these demonstrations,.
If the police were aware that 'some people in the demonstration could have been anti-semitic and caused harm,' why was it not suggested that they removed themselves for the general good of the crowd?

Simple answer: the police were outnumbered and knew an 'incident' would occur if that happened.

I disagree with you.

Last week I had no idea who Gideon Falter was. Now I know that he has a history of blaming people for anti-semiticism, including a civil servant whom he got sacked. He accused him of saying something anti-semitic and deeply offensive. It later transpired that he couldn't possibly have heard what he said because he was on a different floor of the building. Fortunately, the truth came out, the civil servant on on appeal and was reinstated.

Mr Falter is not a journalist, but a paid lobbyist for anti-semiticism and has a history of walking into conflict to provoke a reaction, filming incidents and then reporting them. He had appeared in the Houses of Parliament and is on record as wanting to stop the marches. He was making a political point.

He was accompanied by at least four bodyguards, one of whom was identified as working for an agency set up by Mossad, the Israeli secret police.

He is also a trustee of the JNF Trust, which raises money in the UK and supports Jewish settlement in the West Bank.

I doubt if the police officers who talked to him on Saturday knew any of the above. What they saw was somebody whose behaviour looked provocative and they offered to escort him round the demonstration to ensure he was 100% safe. It later transpired that he had already been on the other side of the road and had already a similar discussion with another police officer. There was no way he was just strolling home after synagogue. He was looking for a reaction and, unfortunately, he got one, but as the truth leaked out, it made him look like a fraud. Unfortunately, those who already might be cynical about anti-semitism will think that others were out to manufacture a reaction.

I would agree with some of that. Even much of that.
But I do think he should have been allowed to walk through the march. Stupid on his part or otherwise.

He has proved the point that the police/authorities deem it not to be safe for Jews to walk around freely at times.

Too many crimes on the statute books that don't result in actually criminality

I am uncomfortable with this too.

If Gideon Falter had been a black man there would be multiple protests across the U.K. …

I do not believe he has damaged his cause, he has alerted many observers to the composition of these demonstrations,.
If the police were aware that 'some people in the demonstration could have been anti-semitic and caused harm,' why was it not suggested that they removed themselves for the general good of the crowd?

Which comes to the real question:

How on earth are protest marches allowed to take place on the streets of Britain when some of the protestors are so filled with overt hatred against one section of our community, people who have a history of being persecuted?

Have we learned nothing from history?

Our parents would be horrified and ashamed.

If he had been allowed to walk through the march and had suffered ann entirely foreseeable physical attack, fancythat, I have no doubt that he would have blamed the police for not protecting him.

He had appeared in the Houses of Parliament and is on record as wanting to stop the marches.

Well, I'm with him on that.

And other marches which take up police time, some protestors injuring police officers and in one instance trying to kill police officers (at least that perpetrator got a prison sentence).

Protest marches have got out of hand recently, taken over our cities and other countries are beginning to see sense and ban them.

For me, I believe Lili Ebert, she was 20 when she and her family were placed in Auschwitz ,she experienced the years
leading to the Holocaust. She experienced ‘denial of antisemitism’

Tickingbird you say on the last page

"The fact that the officer was concerned for his safety proves that these are anti semitic marches. Being ‘openly Jewish’ near that march put him in danger because a large number of those marchers are Jew haters. Many on here are ok with that."

These are not anti semitic marches. You are conflating people with a whole range of views.

They are marches against the actions of the current Israeli regime on behalf of people who are homeless and nearly starving and no semblance of a normal life. And what's still going on:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-68874070

Yes, there are antisemitists on the march and they have no place and should be prosecuted, and neither should open supporters of terrorism be supported.

Germanshepherdsmum

If he had been allowed to walk through the march and had suffered ann entirely foreseeable physical attack, fancythat, I have no doubt that he would have blamed the police for not protecting him.

I dont see how he could, if he had already been strongly advised by the police not to walk through.

He would have blamed the protesters.

So maybe somewhat of a win win in his mind, if he had some sort of agenda[he is a journalist after all].

Nelson Mandela had an agenda !

Yes, there are antisemitists on the march and they have no place and should be prosecuted, and neither should open supporters of terrorism be supported

I think that would be a nigh on impossible task for the police.
Better that these marches are stopped.

They are serving no purpose except to cause more hatred and division.

I also think these weekly marches should be stopped. I think France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Hungary have either stopped them altogether or placed strong restrictions on the way they are allowed to operate. They are taking place weekly, are extremely disruptive for anyone wishing to move about London freely, and must be very frightening to ordinary Jewish citizens, who most probably stay in their houses every Saturday. People on the marches are openly antisemitic, shouting out vile slurs and carrying banners and placards which are openly antisemitic. I would not venture into London on Saturdays at this time and I’m not Jewish. It’s definitely time to at least place restrictions on these marches or to stop them altogether.

It's an enormous burden on the police forces.

I'd say, sadly, that its the horrors of the current conflict in the Middle East containing the hatred and division. If you ban a pro-palestinian march then who else would you have to ban to make it "fair". And then you begin to eat away democratic rights.

I think there might be a case for limiting the marches to once a month or something similar.

I agree. They achieve nothing and require a big police presence, which presumably involves overtime and cancelled holidays. The police have more important things to do.

Wyllow3

I'd say, sadly, that its the horrors of the current conflict in the Middle East containing the hatred and division. If you ban a pro-palestinian march then who else would you have to ban to make it "fair". And then you begin to eat away democratic rights.

I think there might be a case for limiting the marches to once a month or something similar.

There are a lot of wars, civil wars, conflicts, going on in the world but I don't see many protests going on in the streets of London about them.

It will be interesting to see if any attempt is made to curtail these marches in any way.

Why would you have to ban another protest 'to make it fair'?

Each protest is judged on its own behaviour.

Election for London mayor in May !

Whenever there’s a terrorist attack we hear the cries of “not all Muslims are terrorists” etc but for some reason every Jew is an Israeli intent on murdering Palestinians.

There are approximately 250,000 Jews in this country and 4 million Muslims. Jews are very much a minority and we deserve protection. I’ve said this before but I don’t think it sinks in. Every Synagogue has a police presence at services and has done for many years - nothing to do with all this.

What the officer said doesn’t concern me- a touch clumsy but he was under pressure. I have no wish to see him lose his job. The point is that many of these people marching harbour hatred towards all Jews and would do them harm. GF highlighted that with his actions and highlighted the fact that the police are aware and aren’t willing to address it. They’d go in heavy handed if it was Tommy Robinson and his thug army.

See the bigger picture. London and probably other parts of the UK are no longer safe for “openly Jewish’ people.

No matter what you say it’s disgraceful and truly shameful.

eazybee

It will be interesting to see if any attempt is made to curtail these marches in any way.

Why would you have to ban another protest 'to make it fair'?

Each protest is judged on its own behaviour.

It's too late to find out if any protest should have been banned after violence and injuries have occurred.

The policeman tried to stop a possible injury (or worse) at this protest march, albeit in a very clumsy way, and they themselves are risking their lives each week - for what?

The police resources are over-stretched as it is.

The "special interest?"

This conflict has been out there since 1967 (many demonstrations then) and its clear from demonstrations round the world its of particular international interest, ever since the British Palestine Protectorate allocated Israel the original chunk of Palestine in 1947-8.

Then in 1967 the then Israeli movement started occupying and expanding into the West Bank and Gaza.

Its a key factor in the origins and continuing major conflict in the Middle East and possible major war as well as major humanitarian concerns.

It's up to groups with interests in other conflicts to campaign? I cant comment on "why not" as I have no idea.

X post tickingbird
But I see we both used the same word: clumsy

That's why I said pages back that he's perhaps gone for re-training.