Arrest after man seen in video chanting ‘God’s curse be upon the Jews’

A person seen in a video ‘chanting pro-Hamas slogans’ throughout enormous pro-Palestine protests in London is tonight being held in custody after being arrested on suspicion of inciting racial hatred.  

A person carrying all black was seen waving a black and white Shahada flag in Whitehall at round 4.45pm yesterday whereas one other male in a gray hoodie held up a megaphone to his mouth and seemed to be bellowing ‘Hamas’. 

The 35-second viral clip has had greater than three million views on X, previously often known as Twitter. The Telegraph reported the lads chant ‘God’s curse be upon the Jews’ and ‘God’s curse upon Israel’.  

The Metropolitan Police tonight posted an image of the person and wrote on X: ‘Yesterday this man was filmed shouting racist abuse in Whitehall. Tonight he’s in custody having being arrested on suspicion of inciting racial hatred.’  

It comes after ministers stated they might converse to police after Islamists on the streets of London made ‘fully reprehensible’ requires jihad in opposition to Israel.

The video was taken on the day 100,000 individuals in Britain marched in pro-Palestine rallies calling for a ceasefire within the Middle East after terrorist group Hamas massacred greater than 1,000 Israeli civilians, sparking weeks of air strikes from the Jewish state which have killed hundreds. 

Robert Jenrick stated officers can be talking to the Metropolitan Police after the drive stated it believed no offences had been dedicated on the a rally held by extremist group Hizb ut-Tahrir which descended into chants of ‘jihad’ and requires ‘Muslim Armies’ to maneuver in opposition to Israel.

The immigration minister additionally vowed to kick individuals who ‘unfold hate or help proscribed terrorist organisations like Hamas’ in a foreign country, suggesting those that held visas may have them revoked.

It got here per week after Home Secretary Suella Braverman had warned that protesters who ‘mock the homicide of Jewish individuals’ that police would face the total drive of the legislation.

Critics labelled it ‘outrageous’ that the Metropolitan Police didn’t intervene within the occasion, though the drive stated on social media it had not ‘recognized any offences’ however would converse to the lads concerned to ‘discourage’ any chanting of this kind sooner or later.

The demonstration occurred yesterday, the identical day that 100,000 individuals in Britain marched in pro-Palestine rallies calling for a ceasefire within the Middle East aAmong the protests on Saturday there have been surprising scenes when a London tube driver led a practice full of individuals in chants of ‘From the river to the ocean, Palestine might be free’, resulting in a police probe.

While the primary Palestine solidarity march in central London appeared to stay largely peaceable, the Met has come beneath fireplace for its dealing with of the Hizb ut-Tahrir protests, which was held individually outdoors the Egyptian Embassy.

Hizb ut-Tahrir is an Islamic fundamentalist group that has known as for the re-establishment of an Islamic caliphate and for the worldwide implementation of sharia legislation. It has been banned in nearly all Arab international locations, in addition to Muslim-majority nations comparable to Turkey, Bangladesh and Indonesia.

Video shared on social media confirmed one speaker asking the gang ‘What is the answer to liberate individuals from the focus camp known as Palestine?’

To this the gang chanted ‘Jihad! Jihad! Jihad!’.

A poster held by organisers of the rally learn: ‘Muslim Armies! Rescue the People of Palestine.’

At the identical occasion, the speaker added that the solely resolution to liberate the individuals of Palestine was ‘jihad by the armies of the Muslim international locations’.

‘Not by you and me, what coaching do I’ve? There are individuals with arms – in Egypt, in Pakistan, in Saudi Arabia, in Jordan, throughout the Muslim world – and proper now they’re boiling like we’re boiling.’

Another speaker was seen saying ‘the answer is jihad and jihad alone’.

In common phrases the phrase ‘jihad’ is a reference to a Muslim’s obligation to comply with and realise God’s will, however it has in recent times been utilized by extremist Islamic teams to justify violence in opposition to individuals they think about opponents of the faith.

One unnamed minister advised the Telegraph that the police response was ‘actually outrageous’.

Speaking this morning, immigration minister Robert Jenrick known as the chants ‘fully reprehensible’ and ‘inciting terrorist violence’.

Speaking to Sky’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips, Mr Jenrick stated: ‘Chanting jihad on the streets of London is totally reprehensible and I by no means wish to see scenes like that. It is inciting terrorist violence and it must be tackled with the total drive of the legislation.

‘Ultimately, it is an operational matter for the police and the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) whether or not to press costs.

‘Arrests have been made… there have been arrests for the reason that starting of this case. And we wish to guarantee that the police do every little thing that they will to guard British Jews.’

He added: ‘There have been arrests beneath terrorist laws. And we wish to do every little thing that we are able to to guard British Jews.

‘But it is a broader query past simply legality, it is also a query about values. And there needs to be a consensus on this nation that chanting issues like jihad is totally reprehensible and flawed and we do not ever wish to see that in our nation.’

Responding to video of the rally circulating on social media, the Metropolitan Police stated that they had ‘not recognized any offences’.

In a press release launched on Saturday the drive stated: ‘Officers have been overseeing the demonstration organised by Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain all through the day (Saturday 21 October) alongside the a lot bigger protest organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

‘In addition to officers deployed with the protest, we’ve counter terrorism officers with specialist language abilities and topic experience working alongside public order officers in our principal operations room, assessing any video and photographs that emerge.

‘They have reviewed a video from the Hizb ut-Tahrir protest through which a person might be seen to chant ‘jihad, jihad’.

‘The phrase has various meanings however we all know the general public will mostly affiliate it with terrorism. Specialist officers have assessed the video and haven’t recognized any offences arising from the particular clip. We have additionally sought recommendation from specialist Crown Prosecution Service attorneys who’ve reached the identical conclusion.

‘However, recognising the way in which language like this might be interpreted by the general public and the divisive impression it’s going to have, officers recognized the person concerned and spoke to him to discourage any repeat of comparable chanting.

‘We are additionally conscious of photographs from the identical protest displaying indicators and banners referring to ‘Muslim armies’.

‘While there are various interpretations of what the language on the placards needs to be interpreted to imply, officers should take choices primarily based on the wording really used.

‘Again, this was topic to a cautious evaluation and no indicators or banners have been recognized that have been illegal.’

MailOnline has contacted the Met for additional remark.

Mr Jenrick advised LBC he thought ‘lots of people would discover the Metropolitan Police evaluation stunning’ and ‘that is one thing that we intend to lift with them and to debate this incident with them.’

But he pressured once more ‘the legality is finally a query for the police and the CPS’.

Additionally, he advised GB News that ‘individuals who unfold hate or help proscribed terrorist organisations like Hamas haven’t any place on this nation’.

The immigration minister advised that individuals who did so may have their proper to remain within the UK revoked, including ‘a visa is a particular privilege, it isn’t an entitlement’.

‘I you commit feedback that create hate or unfold antisemitism you then forfeit that privilege and you must have that visa revoked and you ought to be expelled from the UK,’ stated.

‘I’ve written to all chief constables throughout the nation saying they need to refer people who come to their consideration to the Home Office. 

‘There is a authorized course of to be adopted, however as and after we obtain these, we’ll think about them and in the event that they meet the authorized bar then we’ll completely revoke and expel them.’

He added that there have been ‘various referrals’ to his division already and these are being checked out by the Home Office.  

Mr Jenrick stated: ‘I can not touch upon particular person instances however please be in completely observe of how strongly we really feel that these individuals who commit these crimes, individuals who unfold hate in our nation, they need to be eliminated, they should not have a proper to reside within the UK and hurt our residents and British values.’

Husam Zomlot, head of the Palestinian mission to the UK, stated on Sunday that individuals attending demonstrations to sow division and intimidate Jews as a substitute of supporting Palestine ‘ought to shut up’. 

It was put to him that some individuals have carried Hamas flags and chanted slogans which might be ‘intimidating’ for Jewish individuals, or worn photos of paragliders taped to their clothes in obvious help for Hamas. 

He advised Sky News’ Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme: ‘This is abhorrent, unacceptable. Those individuals hijack our trigger for their very own twisted logic. 

‘The Jewish individuals don’t have anything to do with it. This will not be a spiritual battle. Many of those that demonstrated for Palestine yesterday have been Jews. 

‘Many of these robust voices are the Jewish individuals defending us. 

‘Those who’ve hate of their hearts for Jews would have hate of their hearts for Muslims and Christians. We don’t have anything to do with them and they need to shut up.’ 

It got here as 100,000 protesters marched in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Cardiff in defence of civilians in Gaza and West Bank after Hamas’s lethal assaults on Israel introduced violent response.

The Met Police stated it had arrested ten individuals on the London march on suspicion of offences involving fireworks, public order, and assaulting an emergency service employee.

On Saturday a London tube driver sparked outrage by urging passengers to chant pro-Palestinian slogans at they headed in direction of a solidarity march.

Video circulating on-line seems to point out the Central Line driver main a chant of ‘Free, free Palestine’ for the lots of of individuals packed tightly into busy practice.

As lots of of protesters boarded the Central Line underground practice at Bond Street for the quick journey to Marble Arch simply after noon, these onboard advised MailOnline that the motive force introduced: ‘Sorry I can not be a part of your protest as we speak, I could not get the time without work work. But you’ve gotten my full help. Join me in chanting ‘From the river to the ocean, Palestine might be free’.’

This chant is a controversial type of protest which some argue is inherently anti-Israeli and anti-Semitic – one thing which Palestinians and their supporters deny. 

The Met Police this week issued up to date steering across the chant as a result of energy of feeling which it evokes, saying officers is not going to be treating it as illegal except it’s particularly used to intimidate members of the Jewish group.

A drive assertion learn: ‘One explicit chant that has been the topic of in depth dialogue is ‘Palestine might be free, from the river to the ocean’.

‘This is a chant that has been ceaselessly heard at pro-Palestinian demonstrations for a few years. We are properly conscious of the energy of feeling in relation to it.

‘While we are able to envisage situations the place chanting these phrases could possibly be illegal, comparable to outdoors a synagogue or Jewish faculty, or immediately at a Jewish particular person or group supposed to intimidate, it’s probably that its use in a wider protest setting, comparable to we anticipate this weekend, wouldn’t be an offence and wouldn’t end in arrests.’

British Transport Police Assistant Chief Constable Sean O’Callaghan advised Sky News that the drive was ‘conscious of footage circulating on social media which suggests chants are led by a driver of a practice in London earlier.

‘BTP are working with Transport for London and investigating the matter.’

A TFL spokesperson advised the broadcaster: ‘We are dedicated to offering a protected community for everybody and wish to make it clear that London is open to everybody.

‘We are conscious of footage circulating on social media that means political feedback might have been made by considered one of our Tube drivers. We are working to scrutinise the footage and make sure the circumstances are urgently investigated.’

Amongst the passengers was Wendy Henry, who stated she ‘could not consider’ what she was listening to because the environment ‘turned very ugly, in a short time’ and accused the motive force of attempting to ‘whip up anti-Israeli emotions’.

She advised MailOnline: ‘The noise within the carriages from the pro-Palestinian demonstrators was deafening and aggressive. The driver ought to have been involved about security for all of the passengers but he set about encouraging intimidating and hostile sloganeering.

‘Transport for London ought to launch a direct investigation into his actions.’

She continued: ‘I’ve lived and labored in London for over forty years and it is honest to say I’ve by no means felt so susceptible and remoted.’

But lots of these onboard disagreed, and video footage confirmed the motive force being cheered and applauded by passengers who seemed to be in good spirits.

Pro-Palestinian protesters in central London additionally chanted ‘from the river to the ocean, Palestine might be free’, regardless of the continued controversy across the slogan’s which means.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman has beforehand branded the slogan antisemitic and claimed that it’s ‘broadly understood’ to name for the destruction of Israel.

While Jewish teams together with the Board of Deputies, Jewish Leadership Council and the Community Security Trust, have requested prosecutors to make clear if chanting the slogan is a felony offence.

However, those that defend the slogan describe it as a ‘long-standing protest chant’ that requires a homeland for the Palestinian individuals.