Scrutiny of Police Response
Met Chief Sir Mark Rowley will be questioned by Home Secretary Suella Braverman regarding the force’s handling of incidents that occurred during a pro-Palestinian demonstration.
Controversial Chants at London Rally
An online video purportedly captured an individual yelling “jihad” at a London rally organised by an Islamist organisation.
The Metropolitan Police said the film, shown at a Hizb ut-Tahrir event beyond the march, was not illegal.
The Legal Framework and Prosecutions
Sir Mark is anticipated to state that the current legal system complicates prosecutions.
The agenda for the meeting between Mrs. Braverman and the superintendent of the Metropolitan Police to discuss the ongoing protests and combating anti-Semitism had already been established.
The Home Secretary will likely interrogate Sir Mark about his force’s response to Saturday’s tragedy, according to a source.
“There is no place for incitement to hatred or violence on the streets of Britain,” according to the source.
The source further stated that Mrs. Braverman has unequivocally urged law enforcement to “crack down on anyone breaking the law.”
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Sir Mark is anticipated to convey to Mrs. Braverman that the current legal framework presents a predicament. As the burden of proof to prosecute is exceptionally formidable, as stipulated by both public order and terrorism legislation.
The Metropolitan Police reported hundreds of thousands of Palestinian supporters rallying in central London on Saturday.
A police presence exceeding one thousand officers was employed to monitor the protest in the vicinity of Downing Street. There were ten arrests made.
Metropolitan Police arrests during Saturday’s march were for public order, fireworks, and assaulting an emergency worker.
However, subsequent to the release of online footage depicting a man chanting “jihad, jihad” at a smaller rally organised by the Islamist organisation Hizb ut-Tahrir, which was in close proximity to the main march, the force announced on Sunday that it would not be taking any additional action.
The force said it “had not identified any offences stemming from the particular clip” and that “jihad” has “multiple meanings.”
“Muslim armies,” it said, after seeing photos of marchers with flags.
Minister of the Interior Robert Jenrick stated that he considered the refrain to be “an incitement to terrorist violence” that required “the full force of the law to be applied.”
“Chanting ‘jihad’ on the streets of London is abhorrent, and I never wish to witness scenes like that,” he stated.
However, the minister acknowledged that whether or not to pursue charges was a “operational matter” for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the police.
Political coercion
Prior to assuming the role of Metropolitan Commissioner in 2021, Sir Mark was a co-author of a report that cautioned of a “gaping chasm” in terror legislation that permitted “impunity” for extremists.
If it didn’t directly incite violence, content endorsing Hitler, bin Laden, and the Holocaust was legal, according to the report.
Mr. Rowley stated at the time, “Current legal boundaries permit extremists to operate with impunity.” “The current situation is simply untenable.”
Invoking violence in the direction of another person constitutes the offence of inciting violence under the Public Order Act. In contrast, the Terrorism Act’s “encouragement of terrorism” offence demands that prosecutors establish proof that an individual encouraged others to “commit, prepare, or instigate acts of terrorism.”
Political Pressure on Hizb ut-Tahrir
As a consequence of the weekend demonstrations, the government of the United Kingdom might face political pressure to enforce stricter regulations and prohibit the Hizb ut-Tahrir organisation.
For decades, the status of Hizb ut-Tahrir has been the subject of political controversy.
After the 2005 7/7 bombings, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair banned the organisation to combat Islamist radicalism.
However, he abandoned the scheme in response to opposition from senior police officers and the Home Office, who believed that proceeding would increase the group’s recruitment.
Then, as leader of the Conservative Party, David Cameron pledged to outlaw the organisation. However, shortly after assuming office, he abandoned that promise.
