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Jeremy Corbyn is leading a campaign for Metropolitan Police chief Mark Rowley to retract his ‘baseless’ claims about pro-Palestine marches.
The former Labour leader is demanding the top copper withdraw his claims that protest organisers try to walk past synagogues on their demos.
Rowley also claimed to The Times that activists behind this weekend’s Nakba pro-Palestinewanted to walk past a synagogue, which he said ‘feels like antisemitism’.
More than 30 MPs and four members of the House of Lords have joined Corbyn’s call for the Met chief to retract the remarks, which they say is ‘maligning a mass movement’.
Their letter has been signed by senior veteran MPs, such as Diane Abbott, and heaps further pressure on Rowley after the Palestine Coalition issued a formal legal complaint to the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime.
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The uproar stretches back to May 1, when Rowley said about pro-Palestine marches in a TV interview: ‘Many of these marches set out with an intent to march near synagogues… even that intent causes me concern that they repeatedly ask to do such things.’
He then repeated those claims in The Times in remarks about the Nakba march on May 16.
The Nakba marks when Palestinians were displaced from their homes during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.
Rowley said about 78th anniversary protest: ‘Their initial suggestion for their route, their march, has involved walking by a synagogue.’
He continued: ‘The fact that features as the organisers’ intent, I think that sends a message… that feels like antisemitism.’
The Nakba march organisers have denied this, insisting that their first route suggestion was past no synagogues and was from Embankment to Whitehall, via Westminster and Waterloo bridges.
(Picture: Yui Mok/PA Wire)
They said that route was rejected because of a Tommy Robinson march this weekend.
Their second suggestion, from the Israeli embassy via Knightsbridge to Trafalgar Square, was also disallowed, despite not passing a synagogue.
Rowley has stood by his comments despite a wave of criticism from pro-Palestine groups about his Nakba march criticisms.
The Met said in a follow-up statement that he was refering to ‘the totality of the period of sustained protest’.
They added: ‘For around half of those marches, the original proposals put forward by organisers involved starting or ending in the vicinity of, or walking past, a synagogue’.
Writing to Rowley, Corbyn said his remarks gave ‘a completely false impression of our demonstrations for peace.’
In a letter seen by Metro, Corbyn said: ‘At no point have the organisers ever “set out with an intent to march near synagogues” or actively sought to “walk by” a synagogue on any of the marches.
‘It is totally unacceptable for a Commissioner to make these baseless claims, which malign a mass movement standing up for peace and humanity.
He claimed the Met’s words were contributing ‘to a climate of division, distrust and fear.’
He added: ‘Our marches bring together people of all faiths and none; including thousands of Jewish people.’
The independent MP ended his letter by urging Rowley ‘to retract your comments as soon as possible’.
The note is signed by 31 other MPs and 4 Peers.
These include high profile left-wing Labour figures such as Diane Abbot and Richard Burgon.
MPs from other parties also backed Corbyn’s campaign.
These include Green MPs Hannah Spencer and Carla Denya, as well as independent MPs such as Ayoub Khan.
When contacted by Metro, the Met Police declined to retract Rowley’s remarks and stood by their statement by May 4.
This statement said that they had changed the route or form up point of Palestine Coalition marches on 20 occasions ‘to protect Jewish communities’.
They added: ‘Examples include protests beginning at Marble Arch or the north of Park Lane both of which are in the vicinity of two nearby synagogues, or at Portland Place which is just 300m from the Central Synagogue.’
Their statement went on: ‘We continue to appeal to everyone to acknowledge how British Jews are feeling in the current climate.
‘That extends to those organising or taking part in protests. It should not be controversial to ask them to be mindful of the impact their actions, whether intended or not, have on other Londoners.’
The Prime Minister has suggested that some pro-Palestine marches could be stopped because of their impact on the UK’s Jewish community.
He said at the beginning of month that ‘there are instances’ where some demonstrations could be stopped altogether.
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