THE threat by the Metropolitan Police to ban Saturday’s National March (PSC) for Palestine from assembling at the BBC in Portland Place as arranged (see advert above), is to be discussed by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign at its Branch Forum this evening.
Below is a message from Ben Jamal, PSC Director about the rally on Saturday 18/1/25:
‘PSC are asking that we do all we can do to get big numbers out in response to this police attempt to stop us protesting against the way the BBC reports on Israel/Palestine.
‘You will likely have seen our statement in response to conditions the Metropolitan Police have placed on the January 18th national demo in London.
‘These conditions aim to prevent us from protesting, as part of the march, at the BBC. I want to offer the details we have at the moment and assure you that a more comprehensive update will come at the January 14th Branch Forum.
‘We have begun ramping up popular and political pressure to force the police to back down from their current position.
‘Please see a statement released today from MPs, Trade Union and civil society leaders and other prominent cultural figures calling on the Police to reverse their decision:
‘Whilst we apply this pressure, we are also assessing the options for how we manage the situation on the 18th including taking legal advice.
‘We will update on details early next week. For now, the most important response from our movement is to have as many people in the streets as possible on January 18th.
‘Please use this as a chance to galvanize your supporters and get everyone to London.
‘More to come soon and, as always, thank you for all your effort.
‘Ben Jamal Director.’
Meanwhile, a group of more than 660 British Jews, including legal, cultural and academic figures, has called on the Metropolitan Police to reverse the ban.
Jewish Voice for Labour (JVL) criticised the ban as bowing to ‘partisan campaigning aimed at preventing peaceful and lawful assembly’.
The group said the police faced ‘strong pressure from pro-Israel organisations’ who claimed that Palestine solidarity protests pose a threat to synagogue congregations.
‘This evidence-free claim is robustly contradicted by the large Jewish Bloc visible on every major demonstration since the genocide began in October 2023,’ the JVL statement noted.
‘As Jews, we are shocked at this brazen attempt to interfere with hard-won political freedoms by conjuring up an imaginary threat to Jewish freedom of worship.’
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