British police have called on organizers of a mass protest against the ban on Palestine Action to postpone a planned demonstration for Saturday, citing urgent security needs following the deadly terror attack at a Manchester synagogue, The Guardian reports.
The Metropolitan Police said the attack, which left two members of the Jewish community dead, has prompted a citywide security escalation focused on protecting Jewish and Muslim communities from potential reprisals or further violence.
In a letter signed by Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan, the force warned that the planned protest in London would require “a significant policing plan” and divert hundreds of officers from their neighborhoods during a critical time.
“Following the horrific and tragic events that have taken place in Manchester this morning, the details of which are still developing, the Met is stepping up reassurance and protective security operations across the capital with a particular focus on London’s Jewish and Muslim communities,” Adelekan wrote, as quoted by The Guardian.
He added that previous mass protests organized by Defend Our Juries had already strained police resources, pulling thousands of officers—including counter-terror units—away from their regular duties.
“This weekend we would ask you to consider pausing your activity and postponing it for another weekend,” the letter continued. “This would ensure we are able to dedicate all the resources we have to ensure that Jewish Londoners can be as reassured as is possible during the Jewish high holy days, and that Muslim communities can be protected against those who may exploit these tragic events.”
Defend Our Juries, which has been organizing protests in opposition to the ban on Palestine Action, rejected the request and confirmed its intention to proceed with Saturday’s demonstration. The group said it had received 1,500 pledges from individuals willing to risk arrest, with hundreds more expected to join.
In its reply to the Met, the group condemned the Manchester attack “unreservedly,” calling it “genuine terrorism.”
“We urge you to choose to prioritize protecting the community rather than arresting those peacefully holding signs in opposition to the absurd and draconian ban of a domestic direct action group,” the group wrote.
The UK government designated Palestine Action a terrorist organization in July. Since then, there have been regular protests in London calling on the government to lift the ban.
Palestine Action, known for its acts of vandalism and disruptive protests, was officially proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000 after an incident at a Royal Air Force base, where activists from the group breached the base and defaced two aircraft with red paint, resulting in an estimated £7 million in damages.
Founded in 2020, Palestine Action describes itself as a “direct action” network opposing what it calls British “complicity” with Israel, particularly in relation to arms sales.
The group also previously defaced a painting of Lord Balfour at Trinity College Cambridge, spraying the portrait with red paint and slashing it.
In another incident, Palestine Action members stole two busts of Israel’s first President, Chaim Weizmann, from a glass cabinet at Manchester University.