Refusal to cancel pro-Palestine demonstrations after Manchester terror attack is an error of moral judgment
When lives have been lost, we should all be able to put our differences to one side and make humane compromises
For very good reasons, there is a huge amount of sympathy in this country for the people of Gaza as Israel continues its blockade and military action in the territory. And it is perfectly reasonable for people in the UK to demonstrate their support for Palestinians facing death and starvation by taking to the streets. We would always defend their right to do so.
The UK Government’s proscription of Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation has also been the source of much criticism, with Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael describing the move in his Scotsman column as “illiberal and oppressive”.
However, the decision by campaign group Defend Our Juries to go ahead with a pro-Palestine demonstration in central London today despite a request not to do so from the police, following the Manchester terror attack on a Jewish synagogue on Thursday, is a deeply sad error of moral judgment. Protests are also planned in other parts of the country this weekend.
A mark of respect
In a letter to the group, the Metropolitan Police had explained that officers were needed to provide "visible reassurance and protective security" to Jewish communities in the city and that the protest would divert resources away from that task.
Particularly after a demonstration against Israel’s halting of an aid flotilla heading for Gaza saw clashes between protesters and the police on Thursday night – the day of the attack on Manchester’s Heaton Park Synagogue – Defend Our Juries should have agreed as a mark of respect and to emphasise their commitment to non-violence.
READ MORE: Police step up security at synagogues after terrorist attack on holiest day in Jewish calendar
When lives have been lost, we should all be able to put our differences to one side and make humane compromises that reflect the seriousness of the situation. It is incumbent upon everyone to take a step back and seek to calm tensions, rather than inflame them.
While Defend Our Juries and other campaigning organisations have the right to protest, they can also choose not to exercise that right. A delay of a week would have had little to no effect on their campaign but would have been a demonstration of sympathy and compassion.
By refusing to postpone such demonstrations, the people involved have damaged, not advanced, their own cause.