A 13-minute video of the exchange shows the officer offering to escort Falter away from the demonstration, and saying he was being disingenuous about his motives for wanting to cross the road at that point…reports Asian Lite News
The commissioner of the Metropolitan police has praised the “professional” conduct of the sergeant who stopped an antisemitism campaigner at a pro-Palestinian march and warned that officers at other protests had been “set up” by activists using “fakery” to undermine the force.
Mark Rowley said the sergeant involved in the incident with Gideon Falter would not be disciplined and vigorously defended the Met’s handling of the six months of protests since the 7 October attacks on Israel.
Defying calls for his resignation, Rowley faced a series of crisis meetings on Monday with the two people who could oust him – the home secretary, James Cleverly, and the London mayor, Sadiq Khan – as well as British Jewish groups.
It followed footage emerging of a Met officer telling Falter, of the Campaign Against Antisemitism, that because he was “openly Jewish” he would not be allowed to walk across a pro-Palestinian protest march through central London on 13 April.
A 13-minute video of the exchange shows the officer offering to escort Falter away from the demonstration, and saying he was being disingenuous about his motives for wanting to cross the road at that point.
Speaking just before he went to see the home secretary, Rowley, Britain’s top police officer, said: “The sergeant at the scene clearly assessed that there was a risk of confrontation and was trying to help Mr Falter find a different route. I completely understand why the sergeant made this assessment. A couple of turns of phrase were clumsy and offensive … and we’ve apologised for that.
“The wider actions and intent of the officer were professional and in the best tradition of British police trying to prevent disorder.”
The commissioner said the officer feared there was a danger of violence or disorder if Falter and those with him came into direct contact with the Palestinian marchers, and thus was correct to stop the antisemitism campaigner.
Rowley said: “The public would be horrified if we said: well, it’s obvious if those two groups come together, there’s going to be a massive fight. We’ll stand back and wait till it happens and we’ll pick up the pieces afterwards.”
Rowley said the officer would not be sanctioned and would be allowed to police protests again. The crisis worsened for the Met after a statement from an assistant commissioner, Matt Twist, had to be withdrawn after the force was accused of victim-blaming by Falter and his supporters.
Rowley described as illogical claims it was too dangerous for Jewish people to walk the streets when pro-Palestinian marches were taking place.
He dismissed much of the criticism faced by the Met over the handling of protests as ill-informed and said no one – by implication in government – had pointed to laws they could use more vigorously.
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