Pro-Palestine march organisers should pay for policing of protests, says MP
Senior Conservative MP Bob Blackman described anti-Israel activism as a 'Trojan horse for antisemitism'
Senior Conservative MP Bob Blackman has intensified criticism of pro-Palestine protest organisers, arguing they should be responsible for the costs of policing their demonstrations.
As chair of the influential 1922 Committee, Blackman described anti-Israel activism as a “Trojan horse for antisemitism,” claiming that such protests and accusations of genocide against Israel amount to “antisemitism, pure and simple.”
Speaking in the House of Commons, Blackman revealed he had received antisemitic abuse online after raising concerns about the protests.
He called on Ofcom to address hate speech and emphasised Parliament’s responsibility to prevent it.
The MP for Harrow East said: “It’s a disgrace, and Ofcom have to take action, and indeed it is our duty to ensure that hate speech is never allowed to continue.”
Blackman highlighted the financial burden these protests have placed on London, noting that since October 2023, policing the demonstrations has cost the Metropolitan Police £82 million.
He argued that council taxpayers should not bear these costs and urged the Government to make protest organisers pay for policing.
Responding, Commons leader Sir Alan Campbell pointed out increased government funding for London’s police.
During a debate on Holocaust Memorial Day, Blackman further condemned the protests, warning that contemporary antisemitism often hides behind anti-Israel activism.
He distinguished between legitimate criticism of governments and rhetoric that demonises Israel, targets Jewish individuals or institutions, or equates Israeli actions with those of the Nazis, which he said constitutes antisemitism.
Citing data from the Community Security Trust, Blackman noted a rise in antisemitic incidents blending anti-Zionist language with antisemitic tropes.
On further examination, since October 2023, the hate marches that have gone on across London have cost the Metropolitan Police £82 million.
“In addition, of course, police have been dragged in from all over London to police these marches.
“The council taxpayers of London are outraged by the fact that we are having to pay to police these marches.”
He asked for the Government to “make sure that, if demonstrations are going to take place in this way, that the organisers of these demonstrations actually bear the cost of policing them, rather than the council taxpayers of London”.
He called for unequivocal condemnation of Holocaust distortion and the targeting of Jewish businesses and synagogues, labelling such actions as clear examples of antisemitism.
Blackman continued: “We must all also confront the disturbing rise of Holocaust inversion, the grotesque distortion that portrays Jews or Israel as the new Nazis.
“This is not merely offensive rhetoric; it threatens and trivialises the Shoah, inverts reality and inflicts profound harm on survivors and their families.
“Equating the Star of David with a swastika or accusing the Jewish state of genocide is not historical analysis, it’s antisemitism, and we must be clear and unequivocal in condemning it.”
He concluded: “When we see demonstrations and attempts to blockade Jewish businesses, restaurants and synagogues, we must call it out for what it is – antisemitism, pure and simple.”
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