Double standards - one rule for them and another for us
The Campaign Against AntiSemitism has just released a statement. This is part of it:There was a planned Walk Together between midday and 2.00 pm in London tomorrow in which there has been enormous interest. There are Jewish communities whose rabbis have given dispensation to their congregants to walk for hours on Shabbat in order to come to central London. Such is the depth of feeling among British Jews about the weekly marches, the record-breaking levels of antisemitism, and the repeated police failures.Tomorrow’s march by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign meanders for two-and-a-half miles, from Parliament Square to Reformer’s Tree in Hyde Park. WHEN WE ORGANISED OUR PEACEFUL MARCH AGAINST ANTISEMITISM A FEW MONTHS AGO WE WERE TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO WAY THAT THE ROYAL PARKS COULD BE USED. YET AGAIN, IT SEEMS THERE IS A DOUBLE STANDARD... Police have told us that they intend to handle the march no differently from the passive way that they have become accustomed to over the course of more than six months. During that time, WE HAVE BECOME ALL TOO USED TO SEEING ANTISEMITIC CHANTS AND PLACARDS at these marches, glorification of terrorism ... Yesterday we met with the Home Secretary and the Minister for Policing to propose concrete measures which can force the police to change their approach. This situation cannot endure much longer and firm action is needed urgently, which we made clear at the meeting.Our Director of Investigations and Enforcement,..., also met with the Metropolitan Police Service yesterday, which told him of its desire to protect Jews walking in the area, but we have a responsibility to be sure that they can. Due to the thousands of people now intending to join and then walk where they please – something that we used to take for granted in London as Jewish people without having to discuss with police ahead of time – we still do not have confidence that people would be safe.ADDITIONALLY WE HAVE RECEIVED NUMEROUS THREATS AND OUR MONITORING HAS IDENTIFIED HOSTILE(S) WHO SEEM TO HAVE INTENDED TO COME TO ANY MEETING LOCATIONS THAT WE ANNOUNCED. THE RISK TO THE SAFETY OF THOSE WHO WISHED TO WALK OPENLY AS JEWS IN LONDON TOMORROW AS PART OF THIS INITIATIVE HAS THEREFORE BECOME TOO GREAT.We are no less angry about these marches than our Jewish community and its allies. WE WANT TO WALK. We want to force the Met to police these marches, not merely manage them. BUT WE CANNOT ENCOURAGE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE TO WALK WHEN THERE ARE SUCH RISKS TO THEIR SAFETY, AND THERE ARE. We have reluctantly decided not to go ahead tomorrow... Tomorrow, we will watch to see whether anything is different about the way that the Met handles the march, and in the coming week we will progress our discussions with the Government. WE CANNOT ALLOW THE CURRENT SITUATION TO BECOME THE NEW NORMAL.NEEDLESS TO SAY I FOR ONE AM FURIOUS THAT AS A JEWISH WOMAN IT IS DEEMED TOO UNSAFE FOR ME TO WALK AMONG MY FELLOW JEWS TO PROTEST AGAINST ANTISEMITISM IN THIS COUNTRY. My father, who marched with antifascists at Cable Street, is turning in his grave.
Lucille Grant ● 9h1 Comments ● 9h