UK home secretary labels pro-Palestine rallies 'hate marches'

The UK's home secretary on Monday called pro-Palestine rallies "hate marches," saying protests against Israeli attacks on Gaza saw "a large number of bad actors who are deliberately operating beneath the criminal threshold."

Suella Braverman addressed the impact of the Israel-Palestine conflict on communities in the UK following an emergency cabinet meeting (Cobra) chaired by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

She called for heightened efforts by law enforcement agencies, particularly the Metropolitan Police and other regional forces, to address the issue of antisemitism.

"We've seen now tens of thousands of people take to the streets following the massacre of Jewish people-the single largest loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust, chanting for the erasure of Israel from the map," she said.

Braverman did not distinguish between the majority of peaceful protesters and those advocating for the "erasure" of Israel, asserting: "To my mind, there is only one way to describe those marches-they are hate marches."

Asked about the chant, "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free," and whether she considered it antisemitic, Braverman said the police operate independently but emphasized: "The police must take a zero-tolerance approach to antisemitism."

On Oct. 10, just days after the current Middle East conflict began, Braverman issued a warning to police chiefs over displays of Palestinian flags on British streets.

She suggested that waving the flag "may not be legitimate" if it is seen as a show of support for terrorism.

The home secretary provided examples of protest actions which she believed could potentially constitute public order offenses, including targeting Jewish neighborhoods, waving pro-Palestinian or pro-Hamas symbols, and chanting slogans that could be interpreted as anti-Israeli.

Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters have marched in London and across the UK over the past three weeks, urging an end to Israel's attacks in Gaza.

Israel widened its air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip over the weekend, which has been under relentless airstrikes since the surprise offensive by Hamas on Oct. 7.

Nearly 9,850 people have been killed in the conflict, including 8,306 Palestinians and more than 1,538 Israelis.