Met Police reaches out to London's Jewish communities as extended video published

A senior Met Police officer has asked to meet with a campaigner calling for commissioner Sir Mark Rowley to be sacked - while the commissioner will meet with representatives from London’s Jewish communities.

Last week the Campaign Against Antismitism’s (CAA) chief executive, Gideon Falter, published a video in which a police officer prevented him from walking through a pro-Palestinian march on April 13, saying that he was “openly Jewish”. Sky News yesterday published extended footage in which an officer said Mr Falter was trying to “antagonise” the marchers by walking against the flow. Mr Falter said he was not at the march to protest, but was only seeking to walk through London.

Mr Falter is not calling for the commissioner’s sacking because of the officer’s actions, but because he believes they show the Met is allowing antisemitism go unchecked at the marches.

He said last week: “Despite being told repeatedly that London is safe for Jews when these marches are taking place, my interactions with police officers last Saturday show that the Met believes that being openly Jewish will antagonise the anti-Israel marchers and that Jews need protection, which the police cannot guarantee.”

Many dispute the suggestion that the marches are unsafe for Jews, with Jewish protesters joining the demonstrations calling for an end to Israel’s action in Gaza, which has left tens of thousands of people dead, in response to the terrorist atrocities of October 7.

The CAA says the police have not cracked down on extremism and antisemitism at the marches, which it says should be banned.

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The Met Police apologised following the incident, and then withdrew the statement and apologised again without the suggestion that being Jewish at the march was a “provocation”.

On Sunday, The Met released a fresh statement in which it said it remains “focused on doing everything possible to ensure Jewish Londoners feel safe in this city”.

“Today, Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist has written to Gideon Falter to offer a private meeting to both apologise to him personally and discuss what more the Met can do to ensure Jewish Londoners feel safe,” the force said.

“This evening, we will also invite senior representatives from across London’s Jewish communities, officials from the Mayor’s Office of Policing and Crime, members of the House of Lords and selected media to an operational planning exercise. This would ordinarily be undertaken in private, but in recognition of the need to engage better and provide reassurance we are inviting community leaders to join us.

“Together, we will work through a range of protest scenarios and invite direct community feedback to inform and challenge not just our operational plans, but our communications during and post event too.”

The force said Sir Mark will today meet with senior representatives from the Jewish community, including from the London Jewish Forum and Community Security Trust.

“We will do everything we can to constantly develop our approach in response to operational challenges to ensure the trust and confidence of all Londoners,” said the force. “This is complex, but we will continue to seek the support and insight of all voices who can help us deliver the service London deserves.”