Al-Quds march ‘has no place in our society and shouldn’t go forward’, minister urges
The ‘hate’ from a march in support of the Iranian regime planned this Sunday ‘has no place in our society,’ a minister has said.
The Al Quds demonstration, due to take place on March 15, is intended to express solidarity with Palestinians and opposition to Israel.
The home secretary has been told by 90 politicians that the rally will provide a platform for intimidation, extremism and the promotion of a regime hostile to Britain and its allies.
And courts minister Sarah Sackman said the march through the capital should not go ahead.
‘I’m clear that hate on marches like the Al Quds march has no place in British society and the authorities and the police should take the enforcement action needed against these marches,’ she told Times Radio.
Ms Sackman, a barrister and MP for Finchley and Golders Green, had previously called for a ban in 2024 while a parliamentary candidate but stopped short of doing so again.
‘It’s for the home secretary and the police working together to take that decision,’ she said.
‘I don’t want to see marches and the views expressed in this go ahead. The decision’s not for me, but I’ve made my views very clear. This sort of thing has no place in our society.’
Courts minister Sarah Sackman said ‘marches like the Al Quds march has no place in British society’
The Al Quds demonstration, due to take place on March 15, is intended to express solidarity with Palestinians and opposition to Israel. Pictured: last year’s rally from Marble Arch to the BBC in Portland Place
The march is held in the capital each year during Ramadan and was established in 1979 following the Iranian revolution
Scotland Yard does not have the power to ban a protest but has not ruled out seeking a ban from Shabana Mahmood.
A cross-party group of MPs has already told the home secretary that the march, which is named after the Arabic name for Jerusalem, will legitimise Iran’s agenda and send an ‘unmistakably troubling message’.
Thousands of pro-Iranian protesters marched through London on the weekend in a separate rally, many of whom shouted anti-Israeli and anti-US chants.
Some carried banners proclaiming support for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who oversaw brutal punishment and repression of the Iranian people.
Al Quds marchers in Britain have previously carried the flags of Iranian-backed terror group Hezbollah, and placards calling for the destruction of Israel.
The annual rally is organised by the Islamic Human Rights Commission, which says it ‘offers a platform for all those who stand for justice against colonialism, oppression and apartheid to come together’.
A spokesman from the group added: ‘’Any ban on Al Quds Day would destroy any remaining credibility that the UK has.’
A Home Office spokesman said: ‘While it is for the police to determine whether a protest risks public order and safety, any attempts to intimidate individuals or communities will not be tolerated.’
The Metropolitan Police said its officers would take a zero-tolerance approach to hate crime and support for proscribed organisations.
