08 November 2023 , 10:25
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Rishi Sunak has held crisis talks with Britain's top policeman yesterday as the PM conceded a pro-Palestinian demonstration will go ahead on Armistice Day.
The Tory leader summoned the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley to discuss the rally planned for Saturday and vowed to hold him "accountable".
Sir Mark has resisted political pressure to try to block the march calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. He said intelligence surrounding the potential for serious disorder on Saturday did not meet the threshold to apply to prohibit the march.
It comes amid concerns far-right hooligans could seek to organise counter-protests on Armistice Day when the nation falls silent for two minutes to remember Britain’s war dead. Speaking after the meeting, Mr Sunak described Saturday's march as "disrespectful".
He said it "offends our heartfelt gratitude to the memory of those who gave so much so that we may live in freedom and peace today". But he admitted the Government will take no further action, which would likely require emergency powers, saying: “But part of that freedom is the right to peacefully protest.
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"And the test of that freedom is whether our commitment to it can survive the discomfort and frustration of those who seek to use it, even if we disagree with them. We will meet that test and remain true to our principles".
Following the meeting with the Met Commissioner, Mr Sunak also said he sought "reassurances" the police would "take every step necessary to safeguard Remembrance services" and those wishing to pay respects.
He added: “It’s welcome that the police have confirmed that the march will be away from the Cenotaph and they will ensure that the timings do not conflict with any Remembrance events. "There remains the risk of those who seek to divide society using this weekend as a platform to do so. That is what I discussed with the Metropolitan Police Commissioner in our meeting. The Commissioner has committed to keep the Met Police’s posture under constant review based on the latest intelligence about the nature of the protests.
But Keir Starmer accused the PM of "cowardice" for "picking a fight" with the Met. "Remembrance events must be respected. Full stop,” the Labour leader posted on Twitter/X. "But the person the PM needs to hold accountable is his Home Secretary. Picking a fight with the police instead of working with them is cowardice.”
Earlier, Cabinet Minister Steve Barclay warned the Armistice Day march would be “provocative” on Saturday. Health Secretary Mr Barclay said: “Armistice Day is so special - it is why I think these protests on that day are provocative." He added: "There is a legal threshold and the Commissioner is of the view that that legal threshold has not been met."
Defending the decision not to try to stop the rally, Sir Mark insisted this week: "The laws created by Parliament are clear. There is no absolute power to ban protest, therefore there will be a protest this weekend." He added using powers to block moving protests was "incredibly rare" and must be reserved for cases where intelligence suggests a "real threat" of serious disorder.
He said organisers of Saturday's rally have shown "complete willingness to stay away from the Cenotaph and Whitehall and have no intention of disrupting the nation's remembrance events". "Should this change, we've been clear we will use powers and conditions available to us to protect locations and events of national importance at all costs," he added.
The Met had urged march organisers to "urgently reconsider" the event because of a growing risk of violence, but the pro-Palestinian coalition behind it have refused to call it off. The force could request the power to ban the event under Section 13 of the Public Order Act 1986, but that would only apply if there was the threat of serious public disorder which could not be controlled by other measures.
The coalition of groups, which includes the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Stop the War and the Muslim Association of Britain, insisted it will press ahead with the demonstration calling for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. There are concerns breakaway groups from the main march could look for trouble, while counter-demonstrations from the far-right may add to policing difficulties in what is likely to be a massive security operation.
The planned route for the march goes from Hyde Park - about a mile from the Cenotaph - to the US embassy in Nine Elms, south of the River Thames. There are no planned protests during Remembrance Sunday events taking place at the Cenotaph in Whitehall the following day. Another two-minute silence will also be held at 11am.