Tessa Jowell: ‘I’m very uneasy that Nazis will demonstrate in Whitehall’

Tessa Jowell has spoken of being ‘very uneasy’ at the prospect of a Nazi demonstration in Whitehall on Saturday, writes Jack Mendel

Speaking to the Jewish News during the Golders Green Together campaign’s display of plurality and unity, Tessa Jowell spoke of her discontent at the Nazi rally being allowed to go ahead.

Having initially been planned to take place in Golders Green against ‘Jewish Privilege’, politicians and community leaders applauded a police edict barring the demo from scheduled to take place in Golders Green. 

Jowell said: she was ‘glad’ this ‘dreadful demonstration’ would not longer take place in the heart of Golders Green.

She added: “I feel very uneasy that Nazis are demonstrating in Whitehall tomorrow [Saturday]. It will be an hour that will cause offence, hurt and distress and I regret that”.

The former MP and Labour Mayoral candidate praised the Golders Green Together event – which saw Golders Green war memorial decorated with green and yellow ribbon to show unity with the Jewish community. 

“The event is important” she said.  “It shows communities of Golders Green are coming together in solidarity.. demonstrating their utter loathing of the Nazi presence” she said. 

Jowell continued: “these people, these are truly terrible people preaching a message of hate and division.

“The Jewish community is a loved and treasured part of our city.”

Finchley and Golders Green member of parliament, Mike Freer, who had been instrumental in ensuring the event was barred from taking place in Golders Green also praised the event.

After helping to put up ribbons, he told Jewish News: “it’s a great atmosphere of the community coming together.”

He added, “It’s great that we have been able to get the demonstration moved away from a site that was deliberately chosen by the far-right to provoke the community. It’s also another way of celebrating the way that Golders Green has really come together

“The attack by the far right was seeking to provoke the Jewish community.. what this has done, is show an amazing expression of solidarity from all of our faiths in Golders Green and people with no faith.

“The gold the green and the ribbons just showing that Golders Green is a great place that is harmonious and we won’t allow the far  right to come in and disrupt what is a wonderfully harmonious area”

One passer by, Sandra, spoke to Jewish News, outlining that although she wasn’t Jewish, she had “an admirable respect” for the Jewish community that she lived amongst.  

Community and faith leaders attended the Golders Green Together event on Friday 3 July