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

None of us were there so we don't know what the man was doing/saying before the policeman spoke to him. We don't know his reasons for being there.
The policeman must have felt that he was trying to be intimidating to the peaceful marchers. The police are trained to watch out for possible trouble makers to keep everyone safe. Protest marches always attract those who want to disrupt them.

What made the police officer think the man was a counter-
protester ?

The police know that there are counter-protesters walking alongside the march. It's obvious that this could erupt into violence. Not every Israeli
or Jewish person is on the side of the Palestinians.
The police like all of us are human and this policeman could have chosen his words better but if he believed the Jewish man was a counter protester then he was right to stop him possibly inflaming a situation that could have erupted into violence. Nobody wants to see people being hurt.

Protection is not given by arresting a person. The police have judged over several months that it would be easier to arrest anyone in support of Jews rather than police properly and arrest those shouting antisemitic slogans or carrying antisemitic placards. If the police are unable to do this job then they shouldn’t allow the marches. We wouldn’t be in this position now if these marches had been properly policed from the beginning.

Protecting a Jew ? telling him he is being provocative ?

I can agree with you GSM that given who this man was, a CEO of an organisation that works against antisemitism I believe, that he may have been there to test the waters. This can only be (if it is true) because there have been other incidents, quite a few, where the police have acted, in my view, inappropriately towards those supporting Jewish people. We have had the Iranian man who was carrying a placard which read Hamas is terrorist (I quote exactly) who was arrested, and the Jewish reporter who was told by a policeman that a swastika must be taken in context (really? What context is that then?) and we have had from the river to the sea projected on to the seat of our democracy. We have had antisemitic chants and slogans every week, and vile placards depicting Hitler, swastikas and other horrible things directed at Jews. When is enough enough? If this man was trying to assess just how antisemitic theMet are, he succeeded.
Who is in the wrong? Clearly the police have failed over months to get this right.

Only in your fevered imagination Annie. He was a Jew in potentially a dangerous place for a Jew to be at that moment. Blame the marchers - who knows who is among their number who may have harmed him? Surely a policeman wanting to protect a Jew from harm is the very opposite of antisemitism?

He was threatened with arrest because he’s a Jew , how terrible a Jew brings truth of antisemitism for the public to witness

Callistemon21

Was there any indication that he was going to disrupt the march and cause trouble or merely stand there and watch it pass by?

Surely the police cannot arrest someone because they think that person might provoke trouble because of the way they look, can they?

He wanted to cross the road where the march was taking place, which would have involved going through the marchers. The policeman asked him to stay where he was and he would then escort him safely. He refused. There was obviously a danger that amongst the marchers there would be some who were sufficiently anti-Israel to see him as a symbol of what they were marching against. Wrongly of course, but feelings can run very high. The policeman was trying to prevent that, trying to keep the man safe. I remain convinced that because of who he is and he had at hand someone to film the entire exchange that his presence at that place and at that time was deliberate and intended to cause disruption.

tickingbird

There’s an actual video. It’s dusgraceful. Those who must be obeyed, who must have their own way.

If you can’t see how afraid the powers that be are of certain communities you must be blind.

The silences are deafening from our so called leaders, of both sides. This should be condemned wholeheartedly, the treatment of this man. Arrested, for what. Turning a blind eye to the main antagonists is sending the wrong message, we will reap the silence to our detriment.

I know this isn’t part of the argument but frequently if a woman out late at night is attacked, many say she shouldn’t be out at night wearing a skirt/ on her own/ after having a few drinks? This isn’t a free society folks ( unfortunately). Women don’t have equal freedoms in our society.

Not trying to antagonise but prove a point. He succeeded.

I believe these marches should be stopped now. It’s ridiculous the amount of police time and money they cost plus the disruption.

Wyllow3 Rosie you say, " Imagine if a Muslim woman was told she shouldn't go to certain areas at certain times if she is wearing a hijab because that was provocative". Well that does happen.

By the police? Really? They have told a Muslim woman she's openly Muslim and therefore being provocative and liable to cause a breach of the peace and be arrested?

I'm not pitting Islamophobia against antisemitism, just comparing and contrasting how I believe the two are dealt with.

Let's clear up one thing - a Kippa worn by Jews is purely a religious head covering. Worn by Jews all over the world. It stands for nothing other than a desire to uphold Jewish law, culture and history.

A keffiyeh (particularly black and white) has taken on a symbolic role over the last century. Originally worn by Bedouin tribesman, it has been worn by Arabs for centuries.

It started to be worn for symbolic reasons and when it became a sort of "trademark" for Yasser Arafat it took on a political dimension and it's connections with the PLO has given its wearers a link to aggression and provocation.

Any Arab wanting to wear a Keffiyeh should of course, be able to do so and it is unfortunate that it has now become a symbol of defiance, aggression and intimidation and has, to some degree, been stripped of it's cultural and historic meaning.

Suddenly the world seems a much more dangerous place to be and things we took for granted like free speech eroded. The threat of nuclear war seems closer than ever and the Middle East seems to be in a tinder box situation! Let me out!

I have an Asian guy who comes to deliver my medication and one day he was wearing a Palestinian headdress as a scarf. I didnt think this was appropriate as he is (presumably) delivering to different areas of Manchester where there is a large Jewish population. Some people would find this quite intimidating.

I had to ring the pharmacy and mentioned it to the pharmacist. She told me that other customers had already contacted her about this and he had been spoken to.

What people choose to wear in thei private activities (including protest marches) is their own business but they should not be wearing items which could be seen as anti Jewish during a work activity.

I dont support Israel's actions. I believe they have committed war crimes and lost a lot of international sympathy. However Jewish is not the same as Israeli.

I doubt the police have ever told a Muslim woman that wearing a hijab could be provocative."

Sorry not to be clear. I was referring to remarks and reactions made to women wearing the Hijab generally not the police.

Anniebach

Ske17 it’s so frightening that a police officer tells a Jew
‘You are openly Jewish’ . Maureen Lipman has spoken many times of the fears of Jews in this country caused by
antisemites

I’m sure she’s right, Annie.

(That was referring to crossing the road)

Thats what I thought. Not just the look but practical - its what he asked to do.

He wanted to cross the road, how dare he , arrest him officer
he’s a Jew

Wyllow3

Islamophobia has increased as well as anti-semitism. It's documented in the second half of this article. The article argues that both have increased but that they have both been evident for a long time. Muslim women in particular express fears.

Rosie you say, " Imagine if a Muslim woman was told she shouldn't go to certain areas at certain times if she is wearing a hijab because that was provocative". Well that does happen.

Racism of both kinds is alive and kicking and I think its best not to try and pit them against each other especially because of what is happening in Palestine.

I doubt the police have ever told a Muslim woman that wearing a hijab could be provocative.
The Met always seem to go for the easier outcomes.

Then the policeman could have escorted him across, it would have been the better look.

Callistemon21

Was there any indication that he was going to disrupt the march and cause trouble or merely stand there and watch it pass by?

Surely the police cannot arrest someone because they think that person might provoke trouble because of the way they look, can they?

The O/P says he wanted to cross the road.

Islamophobia has increased as well as anti-semitism. It's documented in the second half of this article. The article argues that both have increased but that they have both been evident for a long time. Muslim women in particular express fears.

Rosie you say, " Imagine if a Muslim woman was told she shouldn't go to certain areas at certain times if she is wearing a hijab because that was provocative". Well that does happen.

Racism of both kinds is alive and kicking and I think its best not to try and pit them against each other especially because of what is happening in Palestine.