- Home Secretary’s language and controversy
- Accusations and political fallout
- Police response and ministerial support
The Home Secretary reduced the intensity of her language on the eve of Armistice Day when she expressed her “complete support” for the police. However, numerous politicians hold her responsible for instigating confrontations between far-right counter-protesters and law enforcement.
Accusations from Sir Keir Starmer
Sir Keir Starmer claims Suella Braverman “sowing the seeds of hatred” with her police and pro-Palestinian protest comments.
After labelling pro-Palestinian demonstrations, including one that occurred in central London on Saturday, “hate marches” and accusing the police of “double standards” in their handling of protests, the Labour leader criticized the Home Secretary.
Few individuals in recent public life, according to Sir Keir, have “sowed the seeds of hatred and mistrust, incited division, and pitted the British people against one another more effectively than Suella Braverman.”
“She demeans her office in the process,” he wrote in The Sunday Telegraph.
Sir Keir stated that Ms. Braverman and Rishi Sunak’s treatment of the police and demonstrators demonstrated a “lack of respect for this country’s values and its principles” subsequent to their call for the prohibition of the Armistice Day demonstration. He brought this point to the attention of the Prime Minister.
The Fallout and Calls for Resignation
Several notable politicians demanded Ms. Braverman’s resignation for the capital violence.
A grand total of 126 individuals were apprehended in London on Saturday.
This included the 92 individuals detained in central London’s Pimlico. They were, according to the Metropolitan Police, among a sizable contingent of counter-protesters attempting to access the principal pro-Palestinian march in the capital.
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Later, the police stated that several pro-Palestine demonstrators were among those arrested. They were detained after a faction separated from the main gathering.
Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said some protestors’ fireworks hit police officers in the face while they were covered.
Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, stated that the disorderly scenes were a “direct result of the Home Secretary’s words” and that the efforts of the police had been significantly hampered.
Yvette Cooper, the Shadow Home Secretary, urged “calm” and criticized Mrs. Braverman for exacerbating the situation.
“We must all consider the consequences of our words and deeds.” “Over the course of this weekend, it is our collective duty to unite rather than divide and inflame,” she wrote on social media.
Jeremy Corbyn, the former leader of the Labour Party, was among those who attended the march.
He stated, while addressing the masses from atop a fire engine near Vauxhall, that Mr. Sunak and Ms. Braverman’s attempt to halt the march had been “shamed.”
One million of us appear to be in London today demonstrating solidarity with the Palestinian people, he said. So Suella Braverman and Rishi Sunak’s attempt to halt this has been exposed for what it is.
“Given their utter opposition to a Gaza ceasefire, their UN vote should embarrass them.” “Irate them.”
On the eve of Armistice Day, Ms. Braverman had a meeting with Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley. During the meeting, she claimed to have given the police her “complete support.”
However, Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf wrote on X that Ms. Braverman “emboldened” the far-right.
He wrote, “The Home Secretary has inspired confidence in the far right. Her entire week has been devoted to stoking the embers of division. The authorities are currently under attack on Armistice Day.
“The position of Home Secretary is untenable.” “Her resignation is required.”
Police Response and Ministerial Support
While preventing a crowd composed primarily of “football hooligans” from approaching the Cenotaph, nine officers were injured. Mr. Twist described the crowd’s “extreme violence” against the police as “extraordinary and deeply concerning.”
Later, officers engaged in confrontations with demonstrators from both factions in Victoria station and Chinatown.
“A week of intense debate about protest and policing,” according to Mr. Twist, “helped escalate community tensions.”
“Rishi Sunak bears responsibility.”
Mr. Sunak expressed “complete confidence” in his Home Secretary on Friday, despite the fact that several ministers had already distanced themselves from her following her assertion that homelessness was a “lifestyle choice” for some individuals.
Although he disregarded demands from the Liberal Democrats and Labour to dismiss Ms. Braverman, rumours have circulated that the Home Secretary could be relocated as part of a ministerial reshuffle.
Liberal Democrat Layla Moran, who has family in Gaza, blamed Mr. Sunak for far-right rioting.
She wrote on Saturday, “As the police in central London struggle to contain the far-right and everyone begins to blame Suella Braverman, remember who not only hired her but also refrained from terminating her employment.”
Rishi Sunak is equally, if not more, accountable for the current state of affairs.
Sir Keir Starmer defends ceasefire stance, denies party division.
