Home Secretary Suella Braverman is set to interrogate Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley about the police's handling of incidents during a pro-Palestinian protest.
A video circulating online appeared to depict a man uttering "jihad" at an event held by an Islamist organization in London. The Metropolitan Police confirmed that no offenses were identified in the video, which occurred separately from the main demonstration and was organized by Hizb ut-Tahrir.
Sir Mark is anticipated to assert that the current legal framework makes it challenging to pursue prosecutions.
The scheduled meeting between Mrs. Braverman and the Metropolitan Police Chief was originally slated to address ongoing protests and efforts to combat anti-Semitism. However, a source close to the Home Secretary revealed her intention to use the meeting to inquire about Sir Mark's perspective on the police's response to the incident on Saturday.
The source emphasized that there should be "no tolerance for incitement to hatred or violence on the streets of the United Kingdom." Mrs. Braverman has unequivocally urged law enforcement "to take action against anyone violating the law," the source added.
During their meeting, Sir Mark is expected to argue that existing laws set a very high bar, both under public order and terrorism legislation, for prosecution.
The Metropolitan Police estimated that approximately 100,000 people congregated in central London on Saturday to express solidarity with Palestinian civilians. Over 1,000 officers were deployed to oversee the demonstration near Downing Street, resulting in ten arrests.
Arrests made during Saturday's march were reportedly related to the possession of fireworks, public order offenses, and assaults on emergency service personnel. However, the Metropolitan Police confirmed on Sunday that no further action would be taken in response to the online video showing a man chanting "jihad, jihad" at the smaller Hizb ut-Tahrir rally held adjacent to the main march.
The police stated that they "did not identify any offenses stemming from the specific video," emphasizing that the word "jihad" carries multiple meanings. Additionally, no further action would be taken regarding photographs of protesters displaying banners referencing "Muslim armies."
Home Office Minister Robert Jenrick expressed his belief that the chant amounted to "inciting terrorist violence" and should be "addressed with the full extent of the law." Nevertheless, he acknowledged that the decision to press charges was an "operational matter" for the police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
Given the protests over the weekend, there could be mounting political pressure on the government to revise laws and potentially ban the Hizb ut-Tahrir group in the UK. Hizb ut-Tahrir's status has been a contentious issue in politics for decades. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair initially expressed his intention to ban the group shortly after the 7/7 bombings in 2005 as part of a strategy to combat Islamist extremism. However, the plan was abandoned due to opposition from the Home Office and senior police officers who feared it would boost the group's recruitment. Subsequently, David Cameron, as Conservative leader, also vowed to ban the group, but this initiative was ultimately abandoned once he entered government. Photo by David Woolfall, Wikimedia commons.