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UK Law experts and Muslim group demand inquiry into Met’s pro-Palestine protest crackdown

January 23, 2025 at 1:30 pm

A Stop Arming Israel placard and police in Trafalgar Square as tens of thousands of pro-Palestine people protested against the ongoing war in Gaza and Israel’s involvement in the West Bank and the continued arming of Israel by the British Government on the 18 January 2025, Central London, United Kingdom. [Kristian Buus/In Pictures via Getty Images]

More than 40 legal experts and the Muslim Association of Britain (MAB) have demanded urgent action from the UK government and London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, over the Metropolitan Police’s handling of pro-Palestine protests, following controversial policing tactics at last Saturday’s demonstration, where 77 people were arrested.

In a strongly-worded letter, MAB Chair, Raghad Altikriti, challenged Khan over the Met’s “disproportionate and unwarranted assault on the rights of protest”, particularly regarding the 18 January demonstration where severe restrictions were imposed on protesters.

The letter specifically criticised Met Commissioner Mark Rowley’s “boastful remarks” at the Board of Deputies plenary, where he allegedly spoke about adopting harsh conditions against protests. Altikriti argued that Rowley’s comments reinforced perceptions of political bias in policing decisions.

Mayor Khan was also asked why the Metropolitan Police was “making baseless public claims that protesters ‘forced through’ police lines – claims that have been repeatedly refuted with ample video evidence”.  Such narratives “unjustly tarnished the reputation of protesters” said the letter and “perpetuate harmful stereotypes about the pro-Palestine movement”.

READ: London police crackdown on Gaza protest evokes 19th-century repression

The MAB’s intervention comes as more than 40 legal scholars, including prominent academics from over 15 universities, have demanded an independent inquiry into what they describe as “a dangerous assault on the right to assembly and protest.” Their letter to the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, highlighted concerns over the Met’s decision to ban protesters from gathering outside the BBC’s London headquarters.

The controversy centres on the 18 January protest where police made 77 arrests, including protest organisers. The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) disputes police claims that protesters “broke through police lines”, stating that the Met reneged on a previously agreed march route from the BBC to Whitehall.

“The conditions imposed by the Metropolitan Police on the PSC demonstration on 18 January 2025 were disproportionate and an abuse of police powers” said the letter signed by legal scholars. “Despite a demonstrable track record of overwhelmingly peaceful protests for over a year, the police prevented the demonstration to assemble near, or march towards, the BBC on Saturday without offering any compelling evidence. The police thus seemed to be motivated by political considerations that seek to limit the efficacy of the protesters and shield state institutions from criticism.”

Commenting on the letter, Dr Paul O’Connell, a reader in law at SOAS University of London said: “Freedom to assemble and protest is the very lifeblood of a democratic society. If people protesting the commission of a genocide in Gaza are not safe to do so, then it bodes ill for individual freedom and democratic life in Britain in the 21st century.”

The scholars called for charges to be dropped against those arrested or subsequently charged and urged that an independent investigation be conducted into the policing of Saturday’s protest. “More fundamentally, we call for a repeal of the raft of anti-protest laws passed in recent years, and a recalibration of the law in a way which genuinely protects the right to protest.”

The MAB letter specifically questioned Khan about the Met’s communication strategy, arguing that “baseless public claims” about protesters forcing through police lines have been “repeatedly refuted with ample video evidence.” It also raised concerns about Commissioner Rowley’s alleged refusal to engage with Muslim and pro-Palestine organisations while meeting with other community groups.

READ: UK police summon Jeremy Corbyn after pro-Palestine rally