The prime minister has said there may be circumstances in which some protests should be stopped, after calls for a suspension of pro-Palestinian marches following a string of incidents targeting Jewish people.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Sir Keir Starmer said he would “always defend the right to protest” but was concerned about the “cumulative” effect of repeated marches on the Jewish community. Asked whether he wanted tougher policing of language used at marches or to stop some protests altogether, he said: “I think certainly the first, and I think there are instances for the latter.”
The comments came after two Jewish men were stabbed in Golders Green, north London, on Wednesday; 45-year-old Essa Suleiman appeared in court charged with attempted murder. Police have declared the attack a terror incident. The attack is the latest in a series of violent incidents, including the killing of two people outside a synagogue in Manchester, that prompted the government last year to commission a review of public order and hate crime legislation. That review was expected to report in February but has not yet been published.
Jonathan Hall, the government’s independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, has called for a “moratorium” on pro-Palestinian marches, saying it was “clearly impossible at the moment” for such protests “not to incubate within them some sort of antisemitic or demonising language.” Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis has also urged a temporary ban, arguing the protests had contributed to “a tone of Jew hatred within our country.”
Sir Keir said he accepted concerns about the “repeat nature” of marches and that the government intended to address cumulative effects. He added: “We need to look at what further powers we can take.” At the same time he reiterated his commitment to freedom of peaceful protest and freedom of speech, noting many people hold “very strong, legitimate views about the Middle East, about Gaza.”
The proposal for a moratorium has been criticised by the Stop the War Coalition, which said it condemned antisemitism and racism but that it was “wrong” to link marches to attacks on Jews. The Green Party and Jeremy Corbyn’s Your Party warned against responses that would restrict civil liberties, while the Conservatives and Reform UK have urged a tougher approach.
Police in England and Wales already have powers to restrict protests, setting routes or finish times, and can apply to ban marches outright where restrictions are insufficient to prevent “serious public disorder.” Such bans require the home secretary’s approval and are rarely used. Last month the government approved the Metropolitan Police’s request to ban the Al Quds Day march in London — the first protest march ban since 2012.
Starmer said chants such as “globalise the intifada” — a term associated with Palestinian uprisings and interpreted by Jewish groups as a call for violence, while pro-Palestinian groups describe it as resistance — were “very dangerous” and should be prosecuted. Police forces including the Met and Greater Manchester have said they will adapt their approach and may arrest people using the slogan in chants or on placards.
Acknowledging the “depth of feeling” and that many Jews were “feeling very scared,” Sir Keir said it was “not right to say we haven’t done anything,” pointing to enhanced police security in areas such as Golders Green and increased government funding to protect Jewish communities.
