The prime minister said there may be occasions when some demonstrations should be halted, after a series of incidents targeting Jewish people prompted calls for a pause on pro-Palestinian marches. Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Sir Keir Starmer stressed he would “always defend the right to protest” but expressed concern about the “cumulative” impact repeated marches were having on the Jewish community.
Asked whether he favoured tougher policing of the language used at rallies or the outright suspension of certain protests, Sir Keir replied: “I think certainly the first, and I think there are instances for the latter.” His remarks follow a knife attack in Golders Green, north London, in which two Jewish men were stabbed; 45-year-old Essa Suleiman has appeared in court charged with attempted murder and police have declared the incident a terror attack.
The Golders Green incident is the latest in a string of violent episodes, including the killing of two people outside a synagogue in Manchester. Those events prompted the government last year to commission a review of public order and hate crime legislation. That review was expected in February but has not yet been published.
Jonathan Hall, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, has urged a temporary moratorium on pro-Palestinian marches, arguing it is “clearly impossible at the moment” for such protests not to contain some antisemitic or demonising language. Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis has also called for a temporary ban, saying the marches have helped create “a tone of Jew hatred within our country.”
Sir Keir said he recognised concerns about the “repeat nature” of demonstrations and that government wanted to address their cumulative effects. “We need to look at what further powers we can take,” he added, while reiterating his commitment to freedom of peaceful protest and free speech, and noting that 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 directly to attacks on Jews. The Green Party and Jeremy Corbyn’s Your Party warned against measures that would curtail civil liberties. The Conservatives and Reform UK have pressed for a firmer response.
Police in England and Wales already have powers to impose conditions on protests — including setting routes and finish times — and can apply to ban marches outright where restrictions would not prevent “serious public disorder.” Such bans require the home secretary’s approval and are rarely used. Last month, the government authorised the Metropolitan Police’s request to ban the Al Quds Day march in London — the first protest march ban since 2012.
Sir Keir singled out chants such as “globalise the intifada,” a phrase associated with Palestinian uprisings that Jewish groups say amounts to a call for violence (supporters describe it as resistance). He described the slogan as “very dangerous” and said it should be prosecuted. Police forces, including the Metropolitan and Greater Manchester police, have said they will adapt tactics and may arrest people using the slogan in chants or on placards.
Acknowledging the “depth of feeling” and that many in the Jewish community are “feeling very scared,” Sir Keir said it was “not right to say we haven’t done anything,” pointing to stepped-up police protection in areas such as Golders Green and increased government funding to safeguard Jewish institutions and communities.