Protesters face arrest for chanting the slogan “globalise the intifada” in the wake of the Bondi Beach terrorist attack, police in London and Manchester have said.
Greater Manchester Police and Metropolitan Police bosses released a joint statement after two gunman killed 15 people as they targeted Jewish people gathered to celebrate Hanukkah in Sydney.
It came around two months after two people were killed in a terrorist attack in the Heaton Park Synagogue attack in Manchester.
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The chief rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis is among high-profile voices to demand action against hate speech seen at regular pro-Palestinian marches in the UK after the Bondi Beach attack.
He said it must be made clear slogans such as “globalise the intifada” are “unlawful”, adding that both the Sydney and Manchester attacks show the potential consequences of such words.
Intifada means uprising in Arabic and refers to two specific Palestinian uprisings against Israel, first in the late 1980s and then in the early 2000s. Thousands of people were killed, according to several estimates.
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Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley and GMP Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson said in a statement: “We know communities are concerned about placards and chants such as ‘globalise the intifada’ and those using it at future protest or in a targeted way should expect the Met and GMP to take action.
“Violent acts have taken place, the context has changed – words have meaning and consequence. We will act decisively and make arrests.”
The top officers said antisemitic hate crime has surged since the Hamas-led 7 October 2023 attacks on Israel and the subsequent bombardment of Gaza.
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They said “current laws are inadequate”, having been advised by prosecutors many of the phrases causing fear in Jewish communities don’t meet the threshold for prosecution.
But the statement said: “Now, in the escalating threat context, we will recalibrate to be more assertive”
They said frontline officers will be briefed on the new approach and will also use powers under the Public Order Act, including conditions around London synagogues during services.
On Tuesday, the Met said it imposed conditions on a pro-Palestine protest near the BBC headquarters in central London because it would have caused “serious disruption to the lives of Jewish Londoners attending a nearby synagogue and a private Hannukah event in the immediate vicinity”.
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Sajid Akram, 50, was shot dead by police after opening fire on 1,000 people in the Archer Park area of Bondi Beach on Sunday evening, while his son Naveed Akram, 24, has been charged with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder and committing a terrorist attack.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has acknowledged the Bondi Beach attack was not an “isolated incident” but part of a pattern of incidents focused on Jewish holy days.
Justice minister Alex Davies-Jones suggested people should refrain from using chants such as “globalise the intifada” and “from the river to the sea”.
The use of “from the river to the sea” has drawn anger from some pro-Israel supporters, who argue the phrase calls for the eradication of the Israeli state.
Mr Davies-Jones told Sky News “any chants that are designed to intimidate, call for violence, call for the murder of Jews, are totally unacceptable”.
