Between 50,000 and 100,000 people took to the streets of London on Sunday to take part in the city’s first march against antisemitism since the October 7th terror attacks. The demonstration came after reports of a 1,350% increase in hate crimes against Jewish people in the capital, prompted by the Israel-Hamas war.
Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis (pictured below, next to television personality Robert Rinder) told a crowd at Parliament Square that British Jews “will not be intimidated” by antisemitism, adding:
We call for a strengthening of community cohesion and we will forever be proud to champion the finest of British values.
Britons likely needed no reminder of the antisemitism the chief rabbi was referring to, as it was on full display just a day earlier at yet another pro-Palestine protest on Saturday. There were repeated chants of “from the river to the sea,” alongside banners comparing Israeli leaders to Nazis, and reports of intimidation of bystanders caught up in the march. London’s Metropolitan Police deemed it necessary to hand out leaflets reminding protesters to “keep on the right side of the law.”
Placards on Sunday’s march against antisemitism held messages like “Shoulder to shoulder with British Jews,” “”Never Again is Now,” and “Zero tolerance for antisemites.” Many also displayed photos of Israelis still held hostage by Hamas forces. Some pointed out the hypocrisy of leftist, progressive Hamas supporters with messages like “#metoo—unless you’re a Jew. Rape is not resistance” and “Fight Fascism—Smash Hamas.”
The Met said two people were arrested during the demonstration, one of them for making antisemitic comments while crowds left Whitehall. Tommy Robinson, (real name, Stephen Yaxley-Lennon) the founder of the English Defence League, was also arrested after he attended the march against the wishes of its organisers.
The Campaign Against Antisemitism charity said that those who attended the demonstration “made history,” adding that this was the largest such gathering in almost a century.
