Palestinian-supporting protests called 'not in keeping with British values' following Manchester attack, UK interior minister states

Demonstration scene News Agency

Britain's Home Secretary voiced disappointment that pro-Palestinian demonstrations went ahead on Thursday evening following the terror attack that claimed two lives outside a synagogue in the city of Manchester.

Britain's top security official also called on protesters to "pause" from intentions to organize protests in the coming days.

"In my view that continuing in this manner does feel contrary to British values, it seems misguided," she stated concerning protests planned for this weekend.

Protesters in central London demonstrating against the Israeli navy halting a aid convoy transporting humanitarian assistance to Gaza had confrontations with law enforcement near the Prime Minister's residence on Thursday night.

Large crowds holding flags of Palestine and banners could be observed on the government district throughout the evening.

London's police force reported that fourty individuals had been taken into custody. A half-dozen of those arrested were arrested for assaults on police officers.

"It is important to draw a line between events unfolding in the Middle East and situations developing at in our country," the home secretary remarked on a morning news program on Friday.

"My message would be to individuals who are intending to go on a demonstration is to reconsider briefly for a short while, and consider if you had suffered the loss of a close relative to a terrorist incident in this nation," she continued.

There were "substantial" authorities to protect the freedom to demonstrate, she noted, but they could be overridden on the recommendation of the law enforcement.

"I can take my lead from the law enforcement, if they were to tell me there was an inability to handle and to police the protests, then there are powers that are accessible," she elaborated.

Community leaders express apprehensions

The UK's Chief Rabbi remarked that many members of the Jewish community wondered why protests in support of Palestinian causes had been authorized to occur.

The organization was banned as a prohibited organization in July. At various protests after that, hundreds have been taken into custody for expressing solidarity for the group, which has obtained approval to dispute the restriction.

"Some of them contain explicit anti-Jewish sentiment, direct backing for Hamas. Not every single person, however there is a significant amount of these elements, which certainly is risky to many within our society," the religious leader stated.

"You cannot separate the words on our public spaces, the actions of individuals in this way, and what inevitably results, which was Thursday's terror incident."

Additionally, he called on the administration "once more", to "assert authority on these protests, they are dangerous."

Mary Mccarty
Mary Mccarty

Tech enthusiast and writer with a passion for emerging technologies and their impact on society.