Home Secretary Suella Braverman is set to question Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley following a backlash over a man chanting “Jihad” at a large pro-Palestine protest in London on Saturday.
A source close to Braverman said she intends to scrutinise the Met Police’s handling of the event, emphasising that there should be “no place for incitement to hatred” on UK streets.
The Metropolitan Police have faced heavy criticism after a man was allowed to chant “Jihad” during a Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain protest. Video footage circulating on social media shows the man holding a microphone in front of a banner that reads “Muslim Armies! Rescue the People of Palestine.”
The main speaker at the protest described Palestine as a “concentration camp” and asked, “What is the solution to liberate people?”
Despite public outrage, the Met Police stated that no offences were identifiable in the footage, explaining that the term “jihad” can have multiple meanings and that no laws were broken “in this specific video clip.”
Separately, the Met confirmed an arrest connected to racist abuse during the march near Whitehall. The suspect, who was caught on camera shouting racist slurs, is now in custody on suspicion of inciting racial hatred.
The protest attracted an estimated 100,000 people and saw a significant police presence of around 1,000 officers. Police made a total of 10 arrests, mainly for possession of fireworks, public order offences, and assaulting emergency workers.
As tensions rise amid the Israel-Gaza conflict, Braverman is demanding clarity on how the police will balance maintaining public order and protecting free speech while cracking down on hate speech and violence.
Her upcoming meeting with Commissioner Rowley aims to ensure that authorities do not overlook dangerous incitement on Britain’s streets.
Originally published by UKNIP.
