UK PM STARMER SAYS SOME PRO-PALESTINIAN MARCHES COULD BE BANNED

Sat 02 May 2026:

Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer says banning some pro-Palestinian marches could be justified.

Starmer is under pressure to act after a spate of anti-Jewish incidents, including this week’s stabbing of two men in the north London suburb of Golders Green, which is home to a large Jewish community.

Starmer, a former human rights lawyer and chief public prosecutor whose wife is of Jewish origin, said many Jewish people told him they were affected by “the repeat nature” of the protests.

“I’m a big defender of freedom of expression, peaceful protests,” he told the BBC. “But when there are chants like ‘globalise the intifada’, that’s completely off limits. Clearly, there should be tougher action in relation to that.”

The intifada refers to the Palestinian civilian uprisings against Israel from 1987 to 1993 and the early 2000s.

Starmer said he wanted to police the language used in marches more strongly, and there are “instances” when some protests should be stopped altogether.

In December last year, police in London and the northwest city of Manchester said they would arrest anyone chanting “globalise the intifada”.

The Jewish community in the UK views the chant as “very, very dangerous”, said Starmer.

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UK’s ‘terrorism’ laws risk overreach, watchdog warns

The British government risks stretching “counterterrorism” laws beyond their original ⁠purpose by using such powers against activist groups, a United Kingdom “terrorism” watchdog has said.

In his annual report examining the use of Britain’s “terrorism” legislation during 2024, independent ⁠reviewer Jonathan Hall said the subsequent banning of pro-Palestine group Palestine Action had exposed “real uncertainty” over whether serious damage to property alone should qualify as “terrorism”.

The law’s broad wording could without clearer limits risk pulling protest activity into “terrorism” policing, even where there is no intent to harm people, ‌Hall said.

His report comes as the government appeals a ⁠High Court ruling that found the banning of Palestine Action unlawful on the grounds of free speech.

The ban, imposed in July 2025, remains in force pending the outcome of the appeal. United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk warned ⁠at the time that using ”counterterrorism” legislation to implement the ban on Palestine Action risked “hindering the legitimate exercise of fundamental freedoms across ⁠the UK”.

Palestine Action, founded in 2020, says its goal is to end “global participation in Israel’s genocidal and apartheid regime”, focusing mainly on weapons factories, particularly those owned by Israeli defence contractor Elbit Systems.

Since the ban on the group was introduced, there have been about 3,000 arrests, mostly for displaying placards in support of the group, and hundreds of people now face charges.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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