British parliamentarians and cultural figures have criticised the London Metropolitan Police for blocking a pro-Palestine march from starting outside the BBC headquarters on Saturday.
Organisers of the pro-Palestine march said it had agreed on the route with the police months in advance.
But organisers now face objections from the police after pro-Israel groups, MPs, and peers reportedly urged Met Commissioner Mark Rowley to change the route after claims it could disrupt a nearby synagogue.
An organiser of the march told Middle East Eye that the police informed them in December that Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis had made representations to them.
Mirvis confirmed in December that he was in talks with the police about the march.
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Organisers dismissed the claims as “baseless,” noting the synagogue is not on the route and that “there has not been a single incident of any threat to a synagogue attached to any of the marches”.
In an open-letter, the pro-Palestine coalition criticised the police for “misusing public order powers to shield the BBC from democratic scrutiny”.
The open letter described the BBC as “a publicly-funded state broadcaster” that must be held accountable for its reporting on Gaza.
The organisers accused the police of undermining democratic freedoms by deciding to block the protest marching from the BBC.
“The rights to protest and free speech are precious. It is not acceptable in a democratic society that, in the face of an ongoing genocide in Gaza, people should be barred from protesting at the BBC,” the open letter said.
The open letter was also signed by dozens of British parliamentarians, cultural figures, including actors, academics and trade union activists.
Among the signatories of the open letter include Jeremy Corbyn, Diane Abbott, musician Brian Eno, and actors Mark Rylance and Maxine Peake. Trade union leaders like Mick Lynch and Dave Ward also signed the open letter.
‘False and dangerous’
The open letter highlighted the diversity of the pro-Palestine movement, pointing out that “Jewish people have been joining the marches in their thousands”
It condemned attempts to link the protests to anti-Jewish sentiment as “false and dangerous”.
Activists argue the BBC’s coverage of Gaza has failed to portray Palestinian suffering adequately and view the march as a critical opportunity to hold the broadcaster accountable.
Both pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian marches have taken place or started from the headquarters of the BBC in Central London.
Organisers called on the police to reverse their decision and allow the protest to proceed as planned.
“This sets a worrying precedent for democratic freedoms in the UK,” the open letter warned.
The march is scheduled to go ahead despite the objections, with organisers urging supporters to stand firm in defence of free speech and the right to protest.
Media bias
The original route for the march was publicly announced on 30 November by a coalition, which includes the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, the Muslim Association of Britain, the Palestinian Forum in Britain, and Friends of Al-Aqsa, among other groups.
It’s stated reason for starting the protest outside BBC headquarters was to “protest against the pro-Israel bias of its coverage”.
According to a statement by the coalition on Wednesday evening, the route had been agreed with the police before then.
The coalition said that the reason the police gave for the new decision opposing the route “is that our march could cause disruption to a nearby synagogue”.
The Met said on Wednesday that the protest risked “causing serious disruption” and that they were “hopeful that the PSC [Palestine Solidarity Campaign] will now alter their plans in light of our position”.
But the coalition insisted that “the closest synagogue to the BBC is not even on the march’s route.
“Moreover, as the Met Police have acknowledged, there has not been a single incident of any threat to a synagogue attached to any of the marches.”
‘Pro-Israel Jewish voices’
The coalition said that representatives of its Jewish bloc had written to the police seeking a meeting over concerns that the police “are choosing to listen solely to pro-Israel Jewish voices”.
Andrew Gilbert, vice president of the pro-Israel Board of Deputies of British Jews, told the Jewish Chronicle: “The Board have been working with the police and the Jewish community on the routes of the marches and appreciate the detailed work by the police and believe that this clarity from them is an important step forward.”
The pro-Palestinian coalition said: “Any suggestion that our marches are somehow hostile to Jewish people ignores the fact that every march has been joined by thousands of Jewish people – many in a organised Jewish bloc – and addressed by Jewish speakers on the demonstration platforms.
“We firmly reject any attempt to suppress our right to campaign for an end to Israel’s genocidal violence and decades-long violations of the rights of the Palestinian people.”
Adnan Hmidan, acting chairman of the Palestinian Forum in Britain, said the police appeared “unable to withstand” pressure from pro-Israel groups.
“Their concerns are based on false assumptions with no factual basis,” he added. “It is unacceptable for the police to suppress the legitimate right to protest against such atrocities by giving in to baseless fears and fabricated threats.”
