On Tuesday (10th October), the home secretary Suella Braverman issued a letter discouraging the citizens from waving the Palestine flags in the country. The letter read that waving a Palestinian flag on British streets may not be legitimate if it is done to show support for acts of terrorism.
The home secretary asked chief constables in England and Wales to crack down on any attempts to terrorize or harass members of the Jewish community using flags, songs, or anti-Israeli symbols.
“It is not just explicit pro-Hamas symbols and chants that are cause for concern. I would encourage police to consider whether chants such as: ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’ should be understood as an expression of a violent desire to see Israel erased from the world and whether its use in certain contexts may amount to a racially aggravated section 5 public order offense,” the official letter read.
At a time when Hamas terrorists are massacring civilians & taking hostages, provocative demonstrations cause distress to UK Jewish communities.
— Suella Braverman MP (@SuellaBraverman) October 10, 2023
My letter to police chiefs on making full use of their powers to keep our streets safe ⬇️
https://t.co/hTiRzMMPqU
It added that pro-Palestine symbols at anti-Israeli demonstrations should also be seriously dealt with by the constables. “Context is crucial. Behaviors that are legitimate in some circumstances, for example, the waving of a Palestinian flag, may not be legitimate such as when intended to glorify acts of terrorism. Nor is it acceptable to drive through Jewish neighborhoods, or single out Jewish members of the public, to aggressively chant or wave pro-Palestinian symbols. Where harassment is identified, I would encourage the police to take swift and appropriate enforcement action,” Braverman said.
The home secretary also noted that Hamas is a proscribed terrorist organization and anyone extending support to Hamas, inviting support for Hamas, arranging meetings in support of Hamas, and publishing articles and images in support of Hamas will be considered as a criminal offense.
“I encourage all chief officers to ensure that any protests which could exacerbate community tensions by way of offensive placards, chants, or behaviors that could be construed as incitement or harassment, have a strong police presence to ensure perpetrators are appropriately dealt with and that communities feel protected,” she wrote.
Here is the full letter: pic.twitter.com/gcKpLsYCQ3
— Lizzie Dearden (@lizziedearden) October 10, 2023
While the decision to arrest is an operational matter, the home secretary urged the constables to ensure that forces are used to prevent disorder and distress to the communities and that the officers should act if there are any incidents that stray into criminality.
Braverman’s letter came after Rishi Sunak pledged that anyone in the UK who supported Hamas would be held to account in the aftermath of the brutal attack on Israel. During a visit to Staffordshire on 10th October, the prime minister stated that the government was ready to assist any British residents in need.
Sunak reiterated his support for Israel, declaring his solidarity with the country and its people in the face of these barbaric acts of terrorism. Sunak said he was unequivocal with them that we will make sure that they feel safe at this time during his visit to a synagogue in north London on 9th October night.
“Police have been given very clear guidance and advice from the government to do everything that they can to keep the community safe. Officers will clamp down on any behavior that falls foul of the law”, Sunak was quoted as saying.
“I’d just remind everyone that Hamas is a proscribed terrorist organization. People should not be supporting Hamas and we will make sure that we hold people to account if they are,” he reiterated.
The Hamas who has been opposing the very idea of the formation of Israel, launched a deadly attack on 7th October on Israel killing thousands. In response to the brutal terrorist attack on Israel that killed over 900 civilians and wounded over 2,500 others, Israel has declared war on Hamas and has been pounding the Gaza Strip with bombs for 3 days now. The UK, US, and other NATO nations have declared support for Israel.
Hundreds of Israelis and foreign nationals are believed to have been taken hostage by Hamas. Hamas has massacred civilians brutally after attacking a music festival, and family homes in Southern Israel. Social media posts have surfaced where Hamas terrorists are seen killing children, women, and the elderly. The exact number of hostages is yet unknown.
