Met Police ‘trying to whip up complaints’ about anti-genocide protests

London police leaflets ask neighbours of extremist Israeli ambassador to provide ‘impact statements’ against weekly demo

The Met Police, whose commissioner boasted to pro-Israel groups last week of the unprecedented restrictions – which appear to have amounted to a naked attempt to criminalise peaceful marchers – he had placed on an anti-genocide march, has been caught out apparently trying to whip up complaints against a weekly, Jewish-led protest outside the Swiss Cottage residence of Israel’s extremist UK ambassador Tzipi Hotovely.

The force, which has already been condemned for violent policing of the demo, including the arrest and harassment of Jewish Israeli speakers at the demo, appears to have been leafleting local residents inviting them to send ‘impact statements [with] details on if and how these demonstrations have affected them’ to a Met ‘Safer Neighbourhoods Team’ email address:

This looks like a not-very-well-veiled attempt to generate complaints that can be used as an excuse to shut down the protests, which are organised every Friday night by a coalition of Jewish anti-Zionist groups – particularly with London’s right-wing Labour mayor – and boss of the Met – Sadiq Khan stating today that he sees ‘no need for pro-Palestinian marches’ and is ‘angry and distressed’ about them and the non-existent threat they supposedly pose to pro-Israel Jews:

It seems Mayor Khan is more distressed than locals about the Swiss Cottage protests – and the Met is trying to help create or bolster a different impression.

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