Rishi Sunak has called for an urgent COBRA meeting as fears are growing there could be “violent and disorder” on Remembrance Day.
Tensions are high in the UK as the Israel-Hamas conflict continues to spiral out of control.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said they “will look” at a “wide range of areas but it’s obviously particularly focused on the impact of the terrorist attack on the UK domestically.”
The Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden will chair the meeting on Tuesday and they will look at how they can address important issues around “community cohesion.”
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said there are discussions on whether to ban the pro-Palestinian march this weekend and that any application will carefully be considered.
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The spokesman said, “The Prime Minister himself does not think it’s right for these sorts of protests to be scheduled on Armistice Day.
“He believes that is provocative and disrespectful.”
Met Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan, who leads public order policing in London said, “The risk of violence and disorder linked to breakaway groups is growing.
“This is of concern ahead of a significant and busy weekend in the capital.
“Our message to organisers is clear: please, we ask you to urgently reconsider. It is not appropriate to hold any protests in London this weekend.”
Home Secretary Suella Braverman said that “hate marchers need to understand that decent British people have had enough of these displays of thuggish intimidation and extremism.”
Last Friday Sunak warned that there is a “clear and present risk” to the Cenotaph on Remembrance Day amid the planned pro-Palestinian protest.
The Prime Minister said in a statement on Friday afternoon, “To plan protests on Armistice Day is provocative and disrespectful, and there is a clear and present risk that the Cenotaph and other war memorials could be desecrated, something that would be an affront to the British public and the values we stand for.
“The right to remember, in peace and dignity, those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for those freedoms must be protected.
“I have asked the Home Secretary to support the Met Police in doing everything necessary to protect the sanctity of Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday.”
This comes after the Security Minister Tom Tugendhat has written to London Mayor Sadiq Khan, the Metropolitan Police and Westminster Council strongly urging them to look at what powers they have.
The former soldier told Times Radio, “I wrote last night to the Mayor of London, Westminster Council, and to the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police because you’ll understand that for me and for fellow veterans November 11 isn’t just another day.
“It’s not just even a day of remembrance actually it’s a day of grief.
“And for many of us, it’s a day when we remember friends who aren’t standing with us anymore, some who fell at the time and some who have sadly taken their own lives since.
“And it can be a very painful moment. And I think that’s why this is not an appropriate time, this is not an appropriate venue for protest.
“It’s a time for us to come together and to remember all those who served our country with courage and distinction in many conflicts around the world and gave us the freedoms and the liberties that we’re lucky enough to enjoy today.”
