Met Police pushed a pro Palestinian Jewish woman into hostile counter protest

JVL Introduction

A Jewish woman marching in support of justice for Palestinians and a ceasefire in Gaza was pushed into the pro-Israel counter protesters by a Met police officer.  There she met with violence and abuse.  This press release was issued today (10th January 2024) and we encourage its widespread sharing. Jessica L is a member of JVL and of Na’amod, two of the organisations that make up the Jewish Bloc on the marches.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Jewish pro-Palestine protester assaulted when pushed into hostile counter protest by Metropolitan Police Officer

UK – On 18 May 2024, as a result of Police actions, a Jewish activist named Jessica L was assaulted by counter-protesters when she attended the pro-Palestine ‘National March for Ceasefire’ at Piccadilly Circus, London, wearing a Kippah and t-shirt with “Jews Say Ceasefire Now”.

Counter-protesters had gathered holding Israel flags and placards with inflammatory slogans. When Jessica passed by this area on the march path, they became visibly and audibly hostile to her, shouting derogatory, misogynistic, Islamophobic and antisemitic abuse. Jessica was subjected to specific slurs such as “Kapo” and accusations of being a self-hating Jew—terms uniquely weaponized against Jewish supporters of Palestinian liberation. She also received explicit threats of violence and sexual assault.

A Met Police Liaison Officer identified Jessica as Jewish based on her attire, forcibly removed her from the main protest, and then pushed her towards the counter-protestors as he shouted at her to “get back over there”. The counter-protestors proceeded to reach across the barriers, pulled Jessica towards them by the hair, attempted to remove her kippah, struck her, spat on her, and they continued to shout misogynistic and antisemitic abuse at her.

Jessica shouted for help, but police officers failed to intervene. Eventually, she freed herself with the help of Palestine Solidarity Campaign demonstration stewards and rejoined the Ceasefire demonstration. A police officer then communicated that they wanted Jessica to leave the demonstration due to the amount of hatred and hostility she was receiving from the counter-protesters. Jessica sought to report the assault to police officers, but she was told to report it online. When she then went to make a report at a station, she was refused an in-person meeting with a supervising officer.

Jessica L – a member of Na’amod and Jewish Voice for Labour – has instructed Bindmans LLP to pursue breaches of her human rights to freedom of expression, assembly and to enjoy these rights without discrimination. The claim is supported by a letter confirming that she felt humiliated, shaken, and degraded by the police conduct and the assault by counter-protesters, facilitated by the police officer’s discriminatory conduct. The incident forced her to leave the protest early.

The incident highlights the forms of intimidation and discrimination, including verbal and physical abuse, that confront anti / non-Zionist Jews who publicly and privately support justice for Palestinians. Jessica L has requested an apology and a meeting with senior Metropolitan Police officers in order to discuss the experiences of Jewish protesters marching in support of Palestine and to propose changes to policing these demonstrations.

Jessica L commented:
“It was terrifying enough to be within the grasp of counter protesters spouting antisemitic hate speech and threats of violence but when a police officer pushed me into their protest, seemingly because he believed that this was the protest where Jewish people belonged, I immediately feared I was in serious danger of harm as the mob grabbed at me, pulling my hair, spitting on me and hurling vile antisemitic abuse at me. I screamed for help and no police officer intervened – thankfully the protest stewards helped me. It was insult to injury to later be told that the police believed I should leave the demonstration because, essentially, they viewed my Jewishness as a provocation, attracting obvious hostility and hatred from the counter protesters, when their focus should have been on protecting my right to protest in safety from violent, antisemitic and Islamophobic hatred.”

Max Hammer, a spokesperson from Na’amod, said:
“This is not the first time a member of our movement has faced verbal and physical intimidation as a result of their political and religious identity. The incident on 18 May stands out, however, for the behaviour of the Metropolitan Police officers on site. By inferring a set of political beliefs from the Jewish activist’s physical appearance, the officers not only displayed a distressing lack of awareness of the political diversity within the UK Jewish community, but also demonstrated their inability to keep non- and anti-Zionist Jews safe from antisemitic abuse directed at them by far-right ultra-Zionists.

The police’s role in this violent assault comes amid rising antisemitic violence in the UK and amid repeated labelling of largely peaceful Palestine solidarity marches as “hate marches”. The incident illustrates a persistent issue in the Police’s failure to recognise or prevent the unique forms of antisemitism and right-wing violence directed against non- and anti-Zionist Jews. Neither the Metropolitan Police nor the Community Security Trust, a charity which collects antisemitism data used by the police, have a reporting system for incidents of antisemitic abuse by Jews against other Jews. We hope that this legal action against the Metropolitan Police encourages the Met to undergo a reassessment of their ability to protect Jews from right-wing antisemitic abuse – even from members of the Jewish community.

Given that the prevailing media narrative surrounding the Palestine Solidarity Campaign’s marches has been that they are unsafe for Jewish people, it is unsurprising that our presence at the marches is not recognized by the police. We urgently call on the police to improve its understanding of Jewish community dynamics and antisemitism, but this is only possible if the media, too, consistently acknowledges that the Jewish community holds a variety of views and political positions, including in relation to Israel’s war on Gaza.

The fight against antisemitism can only be successful if it combats all forms of antisemitism, including those directed against Jewish people who march in solidarity with the people of Palestine.”

Jeffrey Newman, Rabbi Emeritus, commented:
“Jewish campaigners and groups who have campaigned against the Occupation of the West Bank and the war on Gaza or for recognition of the right of Palestinians to their own State on the West Bank and Gaza are frequently vociferously opposed, sometimes with the use of force, by other Jews.

These major differences have been evidenced in UK demonstrations. The right to hold and express these views, whether Jewish or not, is fundamental to our democracy in the UK. It is the duty and responsibility of the Police to uphold these rights.”

MEDIA CONTACT / INTERVIEW REQUESTS:  email: [email protected].
MEDIA CONTACT (SOLICITOR): Bindmans LLP. Email: [email protected]

EDITOR’S NOTES:
Jessica L has been supported in making her claim by Na’amod, Jewish Voice for Labour, and the Jewish Bloc for Palestine.

Na’amod is a grassroots movement of Jews in the UK seeking to end its community’s support for Israel’s occupation and apartheid, and to mobilise it in support of freedom and equality for all Palestinians and Israelis. It has over 500 members.

Jewish Voice for Labour is a Jewish-led organisation for members of the labour, trade union, socialist and progressive movements.

JVL was formed in 2017 and is internationalist and anti-racist. It stands for rights and justice for Jewish people everywhere, and against wrongs and injustice to Palestinians and oppressed peoples anywhere. Its political priorities are universal human rights and dignity, justice for all, and freedom of expression.

JVL has been actively involved in organising the Jewish Bloc for Palestine in all the marches since October 7th and in the Bloc’s regular Shabbos dinners. It has been the co-organiser of annual Liberation Seders since 2020. JVL has been active in the organisations of events and demonstrations in support of an immediate ceasefire in Gaza in many towns and cities outside London.

The Jewish Bloc for Palestine is a coalition of non- and anti-Zionist Jewish organisations in the UK. It was formed to support Palestine solidarity events and demonstrations across the country and has participated in every Palestine Solidarity Campaign-organised march in London since October 7th, 2023. The Jewish Bloc also organises regular community events.

Other Examples of London Police Mis-identifying Jewish Protestors: Divide and rule | Julia Bard

RELEVANT STATISTICS

• 287,360 people identified as Jewish in the UK Census 2021
• According to JPR’s National Jewish Identity Survey released in October 2024, out of 4,500 Jewish people in the UK surveyed:
  • Only 65% identified as Zionist – down from 72% a decade earlier
  • The remaining 35% identified as Non-Zionist, Anti-Zionist, or unable to answer.