Legal threat after Palestinian flag flown above Jewish cemetery in Plymouth
UK Lawyers for Israel say council may have breached Equality Act by allowing display opposite burial site
Plymouth City Council is reviewing its decision to not take action against a homeowner flying a Palestinian flag above a Jewish cemetery, following a legal warning from UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI), Plymouth Plus has reported.
The flag, raised on a tall pole in a private garden overlooking the Gifford Place Jewish Cemetery, has drawn objections from local residents and concern from communal and legal groups. UKLFI has argued that the council’s inaction could amount to a breach of planning regulations and the Equality Act 2010.
Peter Senior, the homeowner who erected the flag in December 2023, said it was a protest against Israel’s war in Gaza and denied any intent to target the Jewish community. “The intention of the flag is to show my support of the innocents who have now suffered 18 months of horrific treatment,” he told Plymouth Plus. “I am sorry if Jewish people consider my action with the flag as antisemitic. This is not the case.”
In a legal submission, UKLFI Chief Executive Jonathan Turner argued the council may have breached its public sector equality duty under Section 149 of the Equality Act, which requires authorities to foster good relations between people of different religious or ethnic backgrounds. He also said the erection of the flagpole, reportedly over 12 feet high, may have required planning permission that was never granted and that the display itself could violate Town and Country Planning regulations.
A spokesperson for Plymouth City Council said its planning and legal teams were now reviewing the concerns raised by UKLFI and would respond to the complaint.
The local authority had previously ruled that it lacked the power to intervene, with a planning officer comparing the flag to a “blank billboard” and saying Palestine’s status under UK foreign policy limited enforcement options.
Devon and Cornwall Police said they were aware of the matter but were not currently treating it as a criminal offence. “While we understand that some may view this as insensitive, we do not have any powers to force the flag to be taken down,” a spokesperson said.
Senior, who said he has been subjected to abuse and vandalism since raising the flag, accused critics of using “an antisemitic trope” by implying all Jews support the “Zionist regime”. He described the police response to complaints as “disturbing” and said he remained open to dialogue.
Similar flags have been reportedly removed by other councils, including Tower Hamlets, following legal threats from UKLFI.
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