MPs and peers call for independent investigation of policing of Palestine protest

Over 50 MPs and peers have signed a letter to the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper seeking an independent review into the policing of the 18 January Palestine protest at which Chris Nineham, Stop the War vice chair and chief steward of the demonstration, was violently arrested. Both he and Palestine Solidarity director Ben Jamal have been charged with public order offences, with the Metropolitan Police claiming the protest forcibly broke through police lines, when it is clear from video footage that officers invited a delegation carrying flowers to “filter through” those lines.

In the letter, the MPs state:

“There is a direct conflict in the respective positions of officers facilitating the progress of a delegation to lay flowers, and the allegation by the police that their lines had been forcibly breached. Clearly being invited to proceed is wholly inconsistent with the allegation of a forcible breach. We invite you to contrast the web posts and social media posts by the Metropolitan Police and the footage shared by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.”

And it continues:

“The Government is rightly repealing anti-trade union legislation through the Employment Rights Bill. It should repeal anti-protest legislation as well. The use of public order legislation passed by the last Government, should be paused and subject to reconsideration by the Home Office rather than pursuing use of its devices.”

The letter concludes:

“We believe the charges should be dropped against those unjustly arrested, or unjustly charged, following the protest. And we ask that the Home Office commission an independent investigation into the policing of the protest.

 

“It was the former Government which fomented protest and used legislation to repress it, this Government must demonstrate it is delivering change.”

The full text of the letter and signatories is below:

The Rt Hon Yvette Cooper M

Secretary of State for Home Affairs

Home Office

2 Marsham St

London SW1P 4DF

30 January 2025

RE: Palestine Solidarity Campaign Rally 18th January 2025

Dear Home Secretary,

We write concerning the above, and specifically to raise concerns about the manner of the policing and the apparent denial of civil liberties and freedom to protest.

We are all cautiously relieved that a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip has been announced and is currently being implemented with hostages starting to return to their families and Palestinian detainees being released.

The hope is that the staged ceasefire and release of hostages and prisoners continues as planned. But the Palestine solidarity movement remains as pertinent as ever, with Palestinians still facing daily brutal oppression under Israel’s decades long illegal occupation.

The situation for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip is desperate, and the lifting of sanctions against violent settlers in the West Bank by Donald Trump has already fuelled further violence against Palestinians living there. It is clear that the injustices experienced by Palestinians continues and remains an important issue for many millions of UK citizens and for peoples across the world. The regular large scale protests taking place across the country over the last 15 months have been an important democratic expression of the strength of public feeling on this issue.

These protests have been very well organised, with 24 national demonstrations each with between 100,000 and a million people attending. They have been peaceful in nature and attended by a broad range of people and groups – including a prominent Jewish block at every march. Ahead of every march, the organisers have discussed fully with the Metropolitan Police to ensure their success.

We are deeply troubled, however, by the obstacles put in place by the Metropolitan Police ahead of the 18^th January demonstration, as well as the policing on the day. We have spoken to the key figures in the forefront of the events of the day, listened to their first-hand accounts and viewed the video footage, and there are some significant issues of concern.

It is very clear from the published footage that the protest organisers announced their intention to send a small delegation to walk towards the BBC, carrying flowers which they intended to lay there.   They announced that if the police were to stop them proceeding to the BBC, then they would lay the flowers at the feet of the police instead.

Footage clearly shows the police inviting the delegation to ‘filter through’ from Whitehall into Trafalgar Square, as opposed to it ‘breaching police lines’ as subsequently alleged. In this context, we fail to see how the questioning of two Members of Parliament, the charging of Ben Jamal of Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Chris Nineham of Stop the War Coalition with public order offences, and indeed the assault on Chris Nineham during his arrest, and the interviewing of others under caution, can be thought justified or in any way appropriate.

There is a direct conflict in the respective positions of officers facilitating the progress of a delegation to lay flowers, and the allegation by the police that their lines had been forcibly breached. Clearly being invited to proceed is wholly inconsistent with the allegation of a forcible breach. We invite you to contrast the web posts and social media posts by the Metropolitan Police and the footage shared by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

We know that you will have received many direct representations no doubt detailing the chronology and the discussions had before and throughout the rally as between the PSC and the Police and we will not repeat those details here, but we were aghast to learn that Met Commissioner Mark Rowley said publicly the day after the protest that ‘his force imposed unprecedented restrictions’ on a major Palestine solidarity rally in London on 18^th January that led to 77 arrests.

The changes to public order legislation by the last government, through both the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 and through the Public Order Act 2023, were rightly resisted. Civil society called it, ‘a staggering escalation of the Government’s clampdown on protest’. The Joint Committee on Human Rights rightly condemned the creation of, ‘a hostile environment for peaceful protestors.’ And an opposition frontbench reasoned amendment rightly declared this legislation would, ‘erode historic freedoms of peaceful protest’.

The High Court in May this year upheld legal challenges brought by Liberty against the almost “unlimited powers of the Police” and it is regrettable that the Government is appealing that decision and is seemingly supporting public order measures which we opposed when in Opposition.

The Government is rightly repealing anti-trade union legislation through the Employment Rights Bill. It should repeal anti-protest legislation as well. The use of public order legislation passed by the last Government, should be paused and subject to reconsideration by the Home Office rather than pursuing use of its devices.

With regards to last weekend’s protest, we ask that you clarify whether there was any discussion between the Commissioner and the Home Office, or any prior or subsequent engagement or communication around such a significant change in policy.

If so, could you please advise as to the origins of such a significant change and whether such an intention was approved in any way.

We believe the charges should be dropped against those unjustly arrested, or unjustly charged, following the protest. And we ask that the Home Office commission an independent investigation into the policing of the protest.

It was the former Government which fomented protest and used legislation to repress it, this Government must demonstrate it is delivering change.

Yours,