Jewish groups urge review of the 1986 Public Order Act to improve policing of demonstrations
from Religion Media Centre:
A delegation of Jewish community groups met the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley yesterday, to discuss the policing of pro Palestine marches, days after an incident in London where Gideon Falter, CEO of the Campaign Against Antisemitism tried to cross the path of a march and an officer warned him of risk as he was “openly Jewish”.
The delegation represented the Board of Deputies, Community Security Trust and the Jewish Leadership Council.
A statement from the Board of Deputies said the meeting raised concerns that the Public Order Act of 1986 needed to be reviewed. The President of the Board of Deputies, Marie van der Zyl, said it should reflect the realities of the 21st century and was not designed “to consider a concentrated campaign intended to bring central London to a standstill on weekends with repeated marches for months on end”.
Jewish News reports separately on a phone meeting between the home secretary, James Cleverley, and Ms van der Zyl, where she expressed great concern at some of the policing and responses from officers to “disturbing incidents.”
Mr Cleverley replied that should the Jewish community feel safe on London’s streets, and for Jews to hide their Judaism is a red line that cannot be crossed.
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