The force has apologised after footage emerged of officers threatening an antisemitism campaigner with arrest near a pro-Palestinian march and describing him as “openly Jewish”.
Gideon Falter, chief executive of the Campaign Against Antisemitism, was wearing a kippah skull cap when he was stopped from crossing the road near the demonstration in London on Saturday afternoon.
Video showed a police officer telling him: “You are quite openly Jewish, this is a pro-Palestinian march, I’m not accusing you of anything but I’m worried about the reaction to your presence.”
Mr Falter said he had been walking in the capital after attending synagogue and was not there to counter-protest.
In the clip another officer said to him: “There’s a unit of people here now.
“You will be escorted out of this area so you can go about your business, go where you want freely or if you choose to remain here because you are causing a breach of peace with all these other people, you will be arrested.”
Met Police Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said the officer’s “poor” choice of words was “hugely regrettable”.
“The video posted by the Campaign Against Antisemitism will further dent the confidence of many Jewish Londoners which is the opposite of what any of us want,” he said.
He criticised the use of the term “openly Jewish” and said it was “absolutely not the basis on which we make decisions”.
“It was a poor choice of words and while not intended, we know it will have caused offence to many. We apologise.”
Mr Falter said afterwards: “Despite being told repeatedly that London is safe for Jews when these marches are taking place, my interactions with police officers last Saturday show that the Met believes that being openly Jewish will antagonise the anti-Israel marchers and that Jews need protection, which the police cannot guarantee.
“Instead of addressing that threat of antisemitic violence, the Met’s policy instead seems to be that law-abiding Jewish Londoners should not be in the parts of London where these marches are taking place. In other words, that they are no-go zones for Jews.”
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