Met restricts anti-Israel Shabbat protest in north London

The Metropolitan Police has imposed conditions on anti-Israel demonstrations on Friday afternoons in Swiss Cottage, barring the protests from taking place in a large area of north London on Shabbat.

Citing the “cumulative impact of sustained protest”, the Met announced the conditions on Wednesday, which are expected to ban anti-Israel demonstrations on future Fridays in the affected zone.

The police would not say how long they will be blocking the rallies for, however. It is understood that law requires the force to consider each protest individually.  

Using the powers of the Public Order Act, the police prohibited protesters from gathering in an area stretching from Regent’s Park to West Hampstead along Finchley Road, covering much of the Jewish heart of north London, including Swiss Cottage.

The area of north London affected by the conditions stretches along Finchley Road (Photo: Met Police)[Missing Credit]

The protest, organised by the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN), has been taking place on a near-weekly basis since October 2023 and has caused significant disruption and intimidation to members of the community preparing for Shabbat or attending Friday services at synagogues just metres away from the demonstration.

Following the JC’s reporting and several rounds of impact statements, the Met in February imposed conditions requiring the protest to move away from Swiss Cottage.

After an eight-week period where protests were held outside New Scotland Yard, the protest returned to Swiss Cottage last week, prompting a further assessment of its impact by the Met. A large counter-demonstration was hosted by the Board of Deputies and Stop the Hate.

Stop The Hate demonstrators countering pro-Palestine protest at Swiss Cottage (Image: Elliott Franks)Elliott Franks

Announcing the new conditions imposed on the protest organisers, Chief Superintendent Jason Stewart said the force had “seen instances of hate speech and intimidating behaviour" at Swiss Cottage protests. He said the demonstrations “have been a cause of particular concern.

“They take place in the heart of a community with a significant Jewish population, on the eve of the Sabbath and at a time when fear and concern linked to a rise in antisemitic hate crime is increased,” he added.

Explaining the decision to implement conditions, Stewart said: "The law requires us to assess the impact of each individual protest rather than taking a blanket approach, but it allows us to consider the cumulative impact of sustained protest when assessing whether or not it is the cause of serious disruption.

Pro-Palestine activists hold signs accusing the Board of Deputies of 'enabling fascists' (Image: Elliott Franks)Elliott Franks

"It is our position, after careful consideration, that the only way to prevent that level of disruption in this case is to use our powers to require the protest to take place elsewhere."

Officers will be deployed in Swiss Cottage on Friday evening to ensure that anyone assembling in breach of the conditions is "identified and dealt with appropriately", the force said.

Welcoming the measures, vice president of the Board, Andrew Gilbert, said: “We are deeply grateful to the police for taking swift action to protect our community. The right to protest is part of a free society, but so is the right to worship in peace and safety.

“By deliberately holding demonstrations in close proximity to several synagogues and on Friday nights, when many Jews attend prayer services and walk to visit family and friends, IJAN have broken this delicate balance. They have chosen to distress and intimidate the local Jewish community with outrageous and at times directly threatening conduct.

“We welcome the news that their activities will now be limited to areas where they will not so flagrantly disturb the peace.”