LONDON: Keir Starmer said in an interview broadcast on Saturday that banning some pro-Palestinian marches could be justified, particularly when they include calls for the intifada to spread.
The Labour leader is facing mounting pressure to act following a series of antisemitic incidents, including a recent attack in the north London suburb of Golders Green, an area with a large Jewish community.
In that incident, two men were stabbed earlier this week. A 45-year-old British national, born in Somalia, appeared in court on Friday and was remanded in custody on charges of attempted murder.
Starmer visited the scene of the attack as well as a Jewish volunteer ambulance service on Thursday, where he was met with boos from some local residents who accused him of not doing enough to ensure their safety.
Some members of the community also criticised ongoing pro-Palestinian marches taking place in cities across Britain, which began after Hamas carried out the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that triggered the war in Gaza.
The prime minister, a former human rights lawyer and ex-chief public prosecutor whose wife is of Jewish origin, said many Jewish people had expressed concern over the “repeat nature” of these demonstrations.
“I’m a big defender of freedom of expression and peaceful protest,” he told the BBC. “But when there are chants like ‘globalise the intifada’, that is completely off limits.”
He added that there should be tougher action in such cases and signalled a stronger approach to policing language used during marches.
The term “intifada” refers to Palestinian uprisings against Israel that took place between 1987 and 1993 and again in the early 2000s.
Starmer said there were certain instances where protests might need to be stopped altogether, adding that discussions with police had been ongoing for some time regarding possible measures.
In December last year, police in London and Manchester warned that anyone chanting “globalise the intifada” could face arrest.
Starmer said the Jewish community in Britain views the slogan as “very, very dangerous”.
On Thursday, the UK raised its security alert level to “severe”, the second-highest level, citing the Golders Green attack as well as threats from Islamist extremism and far-right groups.
Police have said they will closely monitor all reports and developments related to future protests.