Home Secretary: Gaza protests after Manchester Synagogue attack a ‘clear source of fear’ for Jewish community

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has told the House of Commons that Gaza protests following the Manchester synagogue attack—and those held on the anniversary of October 7—were “a clear source of fear to the Jewish community.”

Addressing MPs as parliament returned, Mahmood confirmed that the government will amend Sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986.

The changes will allow police to consider the cumulative impact of frequent protests when deciding whether to impose conditions.

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“These were a clear source of fear to the Jewish community, grieving just days after an unspeakable tragedy,” Mahmood said in her statement on the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation attack.

“I described those protests as un-British, and I stand by that, because those protesters showed none of the generosity of spirit that I love about this country, and they most certainly did their cause no good whatsoever.

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“The right to protest is a fundamental freedom, but it must be balanced against the right of the public to their safety and security. In my conversations with community leaders and the police in recent days, it is clear that balance has not been struck.”

Under the new changes, protests that repeatedly follow the same routes could be forced to alter their timing or location.

Mahmood also said she is reviewing all existing legislation to ensure public order powers are “fit for purpose and are being consistently applied.”

She added: “The right to protest must and will be protected, but of all the freedoms we enjoy, none is more precious than the right to live in safety.”

Mahmood urged MPs to “learn from” the October 2 attack on the Manchester synagogue, noting that members of the Jewish community had long warned of rising threats.

“Jews who had long felt safe in this country, in their country, now no longer do,” she said. “Now this awful day has come to pass, we must learn from it so that we do everything within our power to ensure it does not happen again.”

Following the attack, visible police patrols have increased at synagogues and other key sites in Manchester and nationwide.

Additional support has been provided to over 500 locations, supplementing the longstanding £18 million annual security funding for the Community Security Trust, she said.

“It is clear that more must be done,” Mahmood said. “We will provide our Jewish community with the protection they deserve, because no one should be forced to live a smaller Jewish life in their country because of the events of October 2.”

Mahmood also told parliament that the attacker, Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, was not known to counter-terrorism police or the security services, nor had he been referred to the Prevent programme.

However, he had recently been arrested on rape charges and was on bail at the time of the attack.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating the police response to the attack, after initial findings indicated that Adrian Daulby sustained a gunshot wound during the armed response.

Mahmood emphasised that the IOPC confirmed the officers involved are being treated as witnesses, and stressed: “The police acted in a situation where they believed a terrorist was likely to detonate an explosive device. The necessary processes must now take their course, and I expect the IOPC to complete them as quickly as possible.”