LONDON: London’s Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Dame Lynne Owens said on Thursday there will be no crackdown on people waving the Palestinian flag.
The announcement comes after UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman called on police chiefs on Tuesday to take a tough line, not just against shows of support for Hamas — which is proscribed as a terrorist organization in Britain — but also toward some pro-Palestinian displays.
“Behaviors that are legitimate in some circumstances, for example the waving of a Palestinian flag, may not be legitimate such as when intended to glorify acts of terrorism,” she said in her letter.
Owens said that, in accordance with the law, the Met cannot interpret broad support for the Palestinian cause as automatically supporting Hamas or any other proscribed group, even when it comes shortly after an attack carried out by that group.
“An expression of support for the Palestinian people more broadly, including flying the Palestinian flag, does not, alone, constitute a criminal offense,” Owens said in an open letter to Jewish communities.
“Of course, behavior at protests goes beyond what is and isn’t seen as support for proscribed groups,” she said.
The letter added that religiously motivated abuse or intimidation will not be tolerated and officers will take action when they see it.
Earlier on Monday, a large demonstration in support of Palestinians in Gaza gathered outside the Israeli Embassy in London.
The event’s organizers, including UK groups Friends of Al-Aqsa, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, and the Muslim Association of Britain are planning another protest on Saturday outside the BBC headquarters.
“We will police them without fear or favor and I expect our officers to act where they see offenses, including expressions of support for proscribed organizations or any instance of religious hatred,” Owen said.