Antisemitism campaigner 'provoked' confrontation, claims march organiser

An antisemitism campaigner who was threatened with arrest at a pro-Palestine demonstration has been accused of trying to “provoke” an incident to get the protests banned.

- AMY-CLARE MARTIN

Gideon Falter has led calls for Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley to resign – along with former home secretary Suella Braverman – after clips emerged of an officer threatening to arrest him and describing him as “openly Jewish” at a rally last weekend.

Sir Mark yesterday met the mayor of London and Jewish leaders after his force issued a statement apologising for the incident amid claims the Met’s “inertia” against regular pro-Palestine protests was letting down Jewish Londoners. However, the march organiser Ben Jamal, director of Palestine Solidarity Campaign, has accused Mr Falter – who is chief executive of the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) – of attending the march with a film crew to “provoke a confrontation”.

In a heated clash with Mr Falter on Sky News, Mr Jamal said: “The nature of the incident was not as Mr Falter has tried to portray it. The reality was he came to the march with an entourage of four to five people and film crew, sought to break through the stewards, physically pushes himself past the police in order to walk in front of the march to provoke and to try to stop it.”

He said the officer’s remarks to Mr Falter were “quite disgraceful” but insisted the CAA is determined to get the pro-Palestine marches banned. “Since the marches started they have tried to stop them, they have even called to bring the army on to the streets to stop the marches happening,” he added.