Gaza protest: Braverman to meet Met Police boss over London demonstration

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The home secretary is to use a scheduled meeting with Sir Mark Rowley to discuss a pro-Palestinian protest in London over the weekend

By Helen Catt

Political correspondent

Suella Braverman will meet the Metropolitan Police Commissioner on Monday, and question him about the force’s response to incidents during a pro-Palestinian protest in London.

A video posted online appeared to show a man chanting “jihad” during a rally by an Islamist group on Saturday.

The Met said no offences were identified in the clip of the protest, which was separate to the main march.

But the home secretary wants an explanation from Sir Mark Rowley.

The meeting between Ms Braverman and the Met Police chief was already in the diary to discuss the ongoing protests and combating anti-Semitism.

But a source close to the home secretary said she would use it to question Sir Mark for his views on his force’s response to Saturday’s incident.

The source said there could be “no place for incitement to hatred or violence on Britain’s streets”.

Ms Braverman has clearly urged the police “to crack down on anyone breaking the law”, the source added.

The Met estimated that up to 100,000 people gathered in central London on Saturday to show solidarity with Palestinian civilians.

More than 1,000 officers were involved in policing the demonstration near Downing Street. Ten people were arrested.

The central London march attracted up to 100,000 people, police said

The Met said arrests made during Saturday’s march were linked to possession of fireworks, public order and assaulting an emergency service worker.

But, the force said on Sunday it was taking no further action after footage appeared online of a man chanting “jihad, jihad” at the smaller rally staged by the Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir, which was close to the main march.

A statement from the force said it “had not identified any offences arising from the specific clip”, adding that the word jihad had “a number of meanings”.

It also said no further action would be taken after it reviewed photographs of protesters holding banners referring to “Muslim armies”.

Home Office Minister Robert Jenrick said he believed the chant amounted to “inciting terrorist violence” and needed to be “tackled with the full force of the law”.

On Sunday, he told Sky News: “Chanting ‘jihad’ on the streets of London is completely reprehensible and I never want to see scenes like that.”

But, the minister admitted it was an “operational matter” for the police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) whether to press charges.