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

Those of you who want to ban these marches should look at those countries where protests are banned and ask themselves if they would want to live there. China, North Korea, Russia,the list of undemocratic countries is long. It's also of interest that as countries move further towards the right as in Austria, Hungary etc they start banning protests. We need to protect our right to protest even if you are not in sympathy with this cause, next time, you might be.

Anniebach

*GSM * calm down, why the need for’sides’

It’s not a matter of ‘sides’. That’s silly. There are those who, like me, don’t consider that the police officer displayed antisemitism. And those like you Annie, who insist that because he didn’t choose his words perfectly, he is an antisemite. An ugly slur.

Vintagewhine

Those of you who want to ban these marches should look at those countries where protests are banned and ask themselves if they would want to live there. China, North Korea, Russia,the list of undemocratic countries is long. It's also of interest that as countries move further towards the right as in Austria, Hungary etc they start banning protests. We need to protect our right to protest even if you are not in sympathy with this cause, next time, you might be.

It's not a case of not being in sympathy with any particular cause, but something must be done to stop the week in week out disruption to London and its inhabitants. It's not fair that there's disruption every single Saturday with no go areas for anybody not wanting to participate.
Imagine if 5 disparate groups wanted to march in London every Saturday. Where would the necessary police come from? Who is going to keep footing the bill? The beleaguered Londoners? Or would you then choose to allow one group over another?
Our right to protest shouldn't come at the disruption and curtailment to the same people week after week.

Agreed, GSM. A very ugly slur, and unwarranted. I mentioned in my first post that Gideon Falter himself stated in a BBC interview three days ago that the police officer concerned hadn’t been antisemitic.

Yet we’ve had posters on here insisting over and over and over again that they know better, and Falter was wrong. With some truly disgraceful allegations and snide insinuations that anyone who disagrees is antisemitic.

And of course the predictable and tedious anti police posts. I doubt if the majority of the bobbies on the beat could pass an iq test. I know that there are exceptions but they really are thick. Nice. Though frankly it says more about the intelligence of the person who posted than it does about any police officer.

This has really been a very unpleasant thread.

The voices of the marchers are falling on deaf ears as far as the Israeli government are concerned and won't make one iota of difference. They have made their point over several weeks costing many hours of police time and disruption to many who live, work or visit London.
Marches shouldn't be stopped but this one shouldn't be allowed every week.

If you want to hold a march you have to give 6 days notice and the police have the power to change or limit the route or set any other conditions that they want. If the police believe that a march is a threat to the general public they can ban it. We all pay for policing, most funding comes from Central government.

Of course it’s not unreasonable to bring some much needed order to the streets of London. These protesters have had nearly seven months to make their point and I don’t think there’s a person left in the country who isn’t aware of their demands (or their insulting and crude antisemitic slogans.) It would not be unreasonable to expect them them to stop disrupting life for the majority of people in London, or those who may wish to travel to London. How long should this go on? How long should the majority have to put up with it? These marches should at the very least be limited. It is absolute rubbish to compare this country with North Korea, Russia or China. Scaremongering is all that is. By the way, last time I looked Austria was a democratic state, as is Hungary (although I’m unaware that there have been any pro Palestine marches there.) How about comparing ourselves to France, Germany, or Switzerland where these type of marches have been stopped or curtailed, in the interests of their Jewish population. France and Germany lived through the removal of the rights of Jews and are rightly putting their safety and their right to move around freely at the top of their agenda, unlike Britain, where we didn’t live through those times and seem unable to make a reasonable decision about this matter.

Vintagewhine

Those of you who want to ban these marches should look at those countries where protests are banned and ask themselves if they would want to live there. China, North Korea, Russia,the list of undemocratic countries is long. It's also of interest that as countries move further towards the right as in Austria, Hungary etc they start banning protests. We need to protect our right to protest even if you are not in sympathy with this cause, next time, you might be.

France and other European countries have banned these marches.
Essentially they are hate marches not peace marches.When one group of a certain religion and their supporters shout insults and carry placards against another group of a different religion and race.That’s what it’s been like since last year.Other countries have been sensible in banning them.

AGAA4

The voices of the marchers are falling on deaf ears as far as the Israeli government are concerned and won't make one iota of difference. They have made their point over several weeks costing many hours of police time and disruption to many who live, work or visit London.
Marches shouldn't be stopped but this one shouldn't be allowed every week.

Quite. Reasonable proportion, that is what is now required.

X post maddyone😃

Maggiemaybe

Such judgement , are we not free to view comments as we see them? You are declaring who you think is right based on your views.

Gideon Falter doesn’t believe the police officer was anti semetic, I am happy for him,I respect his views, I find ‘openly Jewish’ anti Semitic.

AGAA4

The voices of the marchers are falling on deaf ears as far as the Israeli government are concerned and won't make one iota of difference. They have made their point over several weeks costing many hours of police time and disruption to many who live, work or visit London.
Marches shouldn't be stopped but this one shouldn't be allowed every week.

TBH I don't think the marches are designed to influence the Israeli government, it's the British Government. Actually they haven't been every week, there has been one about every two/three weeks in London, a lot, I know, but it does show the level of support. There are football matches every week, clubs only pay for the police actually at the ground so it costs 18.5 million in 2023. Should we also ban football matches? Interestingly, there were more arrests for public disorder at football matches than at the last Pro Palestine march.

How strange that a Jewish person (who runs the Campaign Against Antisemitism so presumably knows it when he sees it) says someone isn’t antisemitic but a Christian insists they are.

foxie48 where did you see that there have only been pro-Palestinian marches every two/three weeks in London please?

There have not been marches only every two/three weeks foxie. Those of us who live near London know that almost every week there have been marches, and on two occasions there were marches midweek too. I’m aware of only one weekend when there was no march. It is simply wrong to claim otherwise.

Germanshepherdsmum

How strange that a Jewish person (who runs the Campaign Against Antisemitism so presumably knows it when he sees it) says someone isn’t antisemitic but a Christian insists they are.

That is not what Annibach posted GSM .

She posted that she finds the phrase openly Jewish antisemitic.

maddyone

There have not been marches only every two/three weeks foxie. Those of us who live near London know that almost every week there have been marches, and on two occasions there were marches midweek too. I’m aware of only one weekend when there was no march. It is simply wrong to claim otherwise.

Crossed posts, I would like to know the source of foxie48’s informatio regarding the regularity of the marches.

Actually if the marches were only every three weeks, it would give Londoners some respite and probably encourage those of us who do go into London at weekends sometimes to concerts, plays, and musicals to start going again. It would also give our Jewish community some respite, because as it is, their needs and rights are being ignored. They seem to be at the very bottom of the heap.

GrannyGravy
👍

But GF said the policeman wasn’t antisemitic, GG, which must include the words spoken.

There would be more arrests anywhere than for a pro Palestine March

Moving on from the GF incident, the marches are antisemitic and insulting to our Jewish community and their rights are being ignored. It is time to limit these marches and give London back to the Jewish and wider communities.

Vintagewhine

If you want to hold a march you have to give 6 days notice and the police have the power to change or limit the route or set any other conditions that they want. If the police believe that a march is a threat to the general public they can ban it. We all pay for policing, most funding comes from Central government.

The mayor says the share City Hall contributes to London's policing through council tax and business rates has grown from 18% to 25% in the eight years he has been mayor. The remaining three-quarters of the Met's £4.2bn budget comes from a Home Office grant.
Maybe 100% of the cost should be borne by central government, then Londoners won't have to feel that not only do they suffer the disruption, they pay for the 'privilege'.

Germanshepherdsmum

But GF said the policeman wasn’t antisemitic, GG, which must include the words spoken.

You are trying to tell Anniebach that because Gideon Falter did not find the phrase openly Jewish to be antisemitic she shouldn’t either.

Anniebach is as entitled to her opinion of this phrase as much as the next person, and I am beginning to feel uncomfortable with the content of your posts directed towards her, they could be construed as on the verge of bullying her to change her opinion.

foxie48 There are football matches every week, clubs only pay for the police actually at the ground so it costs 18.5 million in 2023. Should we also ban football matches? Interestingly, there were more arrests for public disorder at football matches than at the last Pro Palestine march.
I have long said (as a football fan) that clubs should have to pay more towards the policing costs. That aside, are you really comparing the total numbers attending football matches to those on a protest march? I thought we were told that arrests are harder, if not impossible, to make at the time of the marches because of the risk of sparking a riot? Or is this not so, and the police should be arresting on the spot those marchers shouting antisemitic chants and/or carrying banners with antisemitic slogans and images?