Israel Supporters Are Threatened With Arrest at London October 7 Vigil as Hundreds of Protests Erupt Across the World

A group of Israel supporters at London said they were threatened with arrest Wednesday for trying to mark a vigil for October 7 victims as an anti-Israel march was allowed through the streets of the city.“It’s disgusting that we can’t be here. We’ve been told we’ll be arrested for standing here with an Israeli flag,” one woman told GB News.Anti-Israel protesters marched at London on the third anniversary of the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel that left 1,200 people murdered and 251 kidnapped into Gaza. The Campaign Against Antisemitism posted a video on X of some marchers chanting “The State of Israel has got to go.”The Metropolitan Police imposed “robust conditions” on the student demonstration at central London. Among the rules was that anyone taking part was not permitted to wear a face covering that concealed their identity.The police imposed rules for the pro-Israel counter-protest requiring participants to stay in Russell Square. That led to complaints that the anti-Israel protesters were allowed to march but the pro-Israeli demonstration had to stay in one spot.“We’re being stopped and they are being freely allowed to march for Hamas,” the woman added. “They are marching for a terrorist organization, there’s no point sugar coating it.”Police said they engaged with a large number of the anti-Israel protesters to alert them that they had to remove face coverings. Most complied, police said, but one protester was arrested after refusing to remove a face covering when ordered to by an officer.That was one of eleven arrests across various demonstrations. Five people were arrested for inciting racial hatred and breaching protest conditions at a demonstration outside the Board of Deputies of British Jews. Those arrests came after they reportedly chanted slogans calling for intifada.The president of the board, Phil Rosenberg, thanked police for their swift response and arrests.“We will not be threatened or intimidated by this small and extremist minority of British society,” Mr. Rosenberg said in a statement. “We will continue undeterred to advocate for the Jewish people, here and around the world, and to stand up for peace and security for Israelis, Palestinians and the wider Middle East,” he continued.There had been calls for the police to ban the anti-Israel protest but Deputy Assistant Commissioner James Harman, who leads Met Operations said police did not have the authority to do that.“This will be a day of mourning and reflection for many in London and we know the serious concerns that this event has caused Jewish communities in particular,” Mr. Harman said in a release.Paris, which has seen weeks of protests over conditions in public schools, banned an anti-Israel march that was scheduled to take place on the anniversary.“In a context of heightened terrorist threat and while antisemitic acts remain at a historically high level in our country, such a demonstration on that day poses significant risks of disturbances to public order,” the city’s chief of police, Patrice Faure, announced. Mr. Faure said the request to block the protest came from Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez.President Emmanuel Macron noted the anniversary in an X post. “Combating antisemitism and terrorism, everywhere and always, working for peace and the security of all: that is France’s commitment,” Mr. Macron stated.General student protests continued Wednesday in Paris and other cities.There are approximately 262 anti-Israel events planned worldwide, according to Israel’s Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism. Approximately one-third of them have been classified as posing a risk. The Combat Antisemitism Movement has tracked 45 similar events planned in America.

Israel Supporters Are Threatened With Arrest at London October 7 Vigil as Hundreds of Protests Erupt Across the World

Israel Supporters Are Threatened With Arrest at London October 7 Vigil as Hundreds of Protests Erupt Across the World

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