Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson joined tens of thousands in London in rallying against antisemitism amid the war between Israel and the Hamas militant group.
The people who gathered for the march on Sunday took to the streets a day after large crowds turned out for a pro-Palestinian rally. UK Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis and other senior government officials joined Johnson.
London March Against Antisemitism
The march had people who wanted to express solidarity with the Jewish community, and organizers billed it as the largest gathering against antisemitism in London for nearly a century. The attendees were seen waving Israeli flags and Union Jacks. They also held placards that read, "Never Again Is Now" and "Zero Tolerance for Antisemites."
Sunday's rally was organized amid concerns about rising tensions that were sparked by the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Malcolm Canning, a 75-year-old resident from London, said that anything associated with the Jewish religion now feels like it is under attack, as per ABC News.
Law enforcement personnel detailed Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, the former leader of the far-right English Defense League, at the march. He is more known by his alias Tommy Robinson and he joined crowds of counter-protesters who clashed with police during an Armistice Day march in London earlier this month.
Officials said that Yaxley-Lennon refused to leave even after he was warned about concerns that his presence would cause "harassment, alarm, and distress to others." The chief executive of Campaign Against Antisemitism, Gideon Falter, said that the march came after weeks of pro-Palestinian protests.
He added that antisemitic incidents in the UK have skyrocketed since the Israel-Hamas conflict began. Falter also condemned "appalling" placards at the protests, including ones that showed a Star of David thrown in the bin with a caption that read, "Please keep the world clean."
Tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered on Saturday to call for a permanent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Police said that the majority of the people in the rally marched peacefully but added that 18 were arrested for offenses that include suspicion of inciting racial hatred, according to the Washington Times.
Support for Israel
On the other hand, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned antisemitism "in all its forms" and said that it was not acceptable in society. The remark came after Tesla CEO Elon Musk sparked an outcry this week. This was because of his response to a user who accused Jews of hating white people and professing indifference to antisemitism.
Johnson said that it was very sad that the march he joined needed to take place. He noted that all they were doing was showing solidarity with Jewish people, which he said was necessary.
A Campaign Against Antisemitism spokesperson noted that week after week, central London is becoming more of a no-go zone for Jewish people. They added that they had witnessed mass criminality, including the glorification of terrorism, support for banned terrorist organizations, and incitement to racial or religious hatred against Jews, said Daily Mail.
