British Home Secretary Suella Braverman wrote to police leaders in England and Wales that the waving of Palestinian flags and other pro-Palestinian symbols "may not be legitimate" and could require police intervention after antisemitic demonstrators rejoiced in the streets of London over the massacre of over 1,200 people in southern Israel by Hamas terrorists on Saturday.
“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 offence," Braverman wrote to the police officers.
“I would encourage police to give similar consideration to the presence of symbols such as swastikas at anti-Israel demonstrations. Context is crucial. Behaviours 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," she added.
“Nor is it acceptable to drive through Jewish neighbourhoods, or single out Jewish members of the public, to aggressively chant or wave pro-Palestinian symbols at. Where harassment is identified, I would encourage the police to take swift and appropriate enforcement action.
“I encourage all chief officers to ensure that any protests which could exacerbate community tensions by way of offensive placards, chants, or behaviours 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.
Braverman's new instructions were issued after multiple pro-Hamas rallies were held in London. At one such event, a demonstrator was filmed praising the massacre, which left over 800 Israelis dead, calling it a "victory," "beautiful" and "inspiring. The demonstrator stated: "We need to celebrate these acts of resistance because this is a success."