Fifteen trade union leaders have written to the Home Secretary and Mayor of London to call for an independent inquiry into the Met Police’s approach to a pro-Palestine protest on Saturday 18th January 2025 which resulted in 77 arrests and charges under the Public Order being brought against organisers. Describing the Met’s approach as “repressive and heavy-handed” they say police assertions of disorder are contradicted by video evidence and that this undermines confidence in policing.
After Palestine march, the government must repeal anti-protest laws
The letter says:
As trade unionists we are only too aware how heavy-handed policing, followed by the construction of false media narratives, have often served as a pretext to undermine our democratic rights to demonstrate and take industrial action. We are also conscious that the repressive powers used by the police on Saturday stem from efforts by the previous Conservative government to curb our freedom to strike as well as protest.
They call on the Government to repeal these “anti-democratic anti-protest laws”.
Yesterday, a cross-party letter from over 50 MPs and Peers drawn from six parliamentary groups as well as independent MPs was sent to the Home Secretary in support of calls for an independent inquiry In their letter the Parliamentarians have described this as “the apparent denial of civil liberties and freedom to protest.” They also called on the Government to repeal anti-protest laws brought in under the last Conservative government which, in Opposition, Labour said would ‘erode historic freedoms of peaceful protest’.
Events at the national Palestine protest on 18 January have drawn widespread criticism towards the Metropolitan Police, including from Amnesty International UK, Liberty and British Palestinians. The Met reneged on a previous agreement to allow a march from BBC Portland Place to Whitehall, a route taken several times before. It then sought to impose a route the Board of Deputies publicly claimed that it had proposed to the police. This was rejected by the Palestine Coalition organising group. Finally, the Met banned any alternative march route allowing only a rally in Whitehall.
The Met Police: severe overreach
On the day there was a massive police presence, with police obstructing the gathering for the rally in many respects. There was an unusually high number of arrests of protestors. The Chief Steward who organises the demonstrations for the Palestine Coalition in discussion with police was violently arrested on the day, and with the director of Palestine Solidarity Campaign subsequently charged with offences under the Public Order Act. Two MPs – Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell – who attended the protest have been interviewed under caution by the police.
The letter goes on to say:
The marches for Palestine to oppose the genocide taking place in Gaza are urgent and necessary. They are an exercise of fundamental democratic rights and have been overwhelmingly supported by peaceful, law-abiding citizens. It is deeply troubling to see the Met use repressive powers brought in by the last Government to seemingly stifle the protest and punish organisers and those taking part. We in the trade union movement call for independent scrutiny to prevent a further descent into political policing of democratic rights.
Fran Heathcote, PCS General Secretary, said:
The marches for Palestine to oppose the genocide in Gaza are urgent and necessary. They are an exercise of fundamental democratic rights and have been overwhelmingly supported by peaceful, law-abiding citizens. It is deeply troubling to see the Met use repressive powers to stifle the protest and then make apparently false claims and press charges against those taking part. We in the trade union movement call for an independent investigation and an end to political policing of democratic rights.
Featured image via the Canary
