Braverman calls for Met chief to quit over treatment of Jews

Suella Braverman says there has been a ‘wholesale refusal to change’ from the Met Commissioner – Paul Grover for The Telegraph

Suella Braverman is leading calls for the head of the Metropolitan Police to quit as the force faces mounting pressure after threatening to arrest an “openly Jewish” man during a pro-Palestine rally.

The former home secretary’s intervention comes as Oliver Dowden, the deputy prime minister, suggested that Scotland Yard has been “disrespecting” Jews. Speaking exclusively to The Telegraph, he said that it was “hard to think of any other minority that would be treated as disrespectfully as Jews seem to be”.

Sir Mark Rowley has been summoned to a meeting with Chris Philp, the policing minister, who said he was “deeply concerned” by the Met’s handling of counter-protestors at Pro-Palestine rallies.

“No one should be told their religion is provocative, nor an innocent person threatened with arrest solely because of someone else’s anticipated unreasonable reaction,” Mr Philp said.

The Met has faced repeated criticism over pro-Palestinian marches, which have become regular weekend events in central London and have been criticised for displays of anti-Semitism.

Two leading Jewish groups – the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism and the National Jewish Assembly – have added their voices to calls for Sir Mark to quit, while Lord Wolfson, a former justice minister, said the Met “needs a new approach and also, it would seem, new leadership”.

Gideon Falter, the Jewish man threatened with arrest, said last night: “The time has come for Sir Mark Rowley to go. He must resign or be removed by the Mayor of London and the Home Secretary.

“What happened to me was a disgrace. Imagine what it felt like to be told by police officers that being ‘quite openly Jewish’ would ‘antagonise’ people and so I must leave the area on pain of arrest.”

He added: “Sir Mark has the distinction of presiding over the worst surge in anti-Semitic criminality in our capital city since records began.”

Lord Walney, the Government’s independent adviser on political violence and disruption, said he believed there was “institutional anti-Semitism” across public sector bodies including the police and called for a “systematic review”.

“The ways in which Jewish people are being challenged openly about the conduct of Israel – sometimes within official settings – is shocking,” he said. “Jews are singled out for criticism by people who have a particular view of the conflict in Gaza. And that is a pervasive form of anti-Semitism.”

Sir William Shawcross, the independent reviewer of the government’s counter-extremism Prevent strategy, said it was “appalling” that so many Jewish people were “frightened of being in central London when these protests are taking place. That is intolerable”.

He added: “The police’s tasks are not easy. But it is crucial that they do everything to protect Jews and others from any such fears. That is also absolutely incumbent on the organisers of these marches.”

Priti Patel, the former home secretary, said the incident was “beyond unacceptable”, adding that it was time for Scotland Yard to “stop the nonsense” and to be “respectful and to understand the needs of the Jewish community at this particularly sensitive time”.

Writing for The Telegraph, Mrs Braverman said that “after such a litany of failure and a wholesale refusal to change, the Met Commissioner needs to accept responsibility. And he must go”.

She added: “I’ve seen too much fear and even more favouritism in the policing of pro-Palestinian protests.”

Suella Braverman says Sir Mark Rowley ‘must go’ – Kirsty O’Connor/PA

The Met’s handling of Pro-Palestine marches, which have continued throughout the Israel-Hamas conflict, has come under fresh scrutiny after an incident last Saturday when officers threatened to arrest a man they described as “openly Jewish” for walking in central London during a rally.

An officer had suggested that the presence of Mr Falter, the chief executive of the Campaign Against Antisemitism, was “provocative” and that he was “antagonising” protesters in central London. He was later warned by a second officer that he would be arrested if he did not leave the location.

On Friday, the force was forced to issue an apology for a statement issued by Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist, one of the Met’s most senior officers, who said that being present when marches were taking place could be “provocative”, in comments that were described as “victim blaming”.

Last night Sir Mark issued another apology.

“Every member of the Met is determined to ensure that London is a city in which everyone feels safe,” he said.

“We absolutely understand how vulnerable Jewish and Muslim Londoners feel since the terrorist attacks on Israel.

“Some of our actions have increased this concern. I personally reiterate our apology from earlier this week.

“Today, as with every other day, our officers will continue to police with courage, empathy and impartiality.”

Perception force is ‘institutionally anti-Semitic’

However, Gary Mond, chairman of the National Jewish Assembly, said: “The buck stops at the top and if Rowley is not prepared to properly police the demonstrations, he has to go and be replaced by someone who can.”

He added that there was a perception within Britain’s Jewish community that the force was “institutionally anti-Semitic” and called for a Macpherson-style review, which followed in the wake of the murder of Stephen Lawrence in 1993.

Mr Dowden told The Telegraph that the police “have a hugely difficult job and we should all acknowledge that” but said that Sadiq Khan, London’s mayor, had shown “indifference” rather than “solidarity”.

His criticism of the Met Police’s treatment of Jews was echoed by Lord Pickles, the former communities secretary, who said the force’s “blinkered attitude to public order is endangering British Jews”.

He said the Met had been “confused, leaderless and useless throughout the whole of the demonstrations. They have lost their moral compass and need to urgently reassess their attitude towards anti-Semitism”.

Paul Scully MP, a former London minister, said the Met’s approach to policing protests risked “inflaming” tensions in the capital.

“If you get community policing wrong it risks leading to a breakdown in anti-social behaviour and you end up with New York in the Seventies – a Gotham City scenario,” he said.

“It may sound extreme but it is the cumulative impact of not treating communities equally and not policing protests properly. That can lead to community fault lines and it has an impact on things like tourism and investment.”

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