Campaign Against Antisemitism Calls Off March Following Threats

The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) has cancelled its “Walk Together” march through London on Saturday, citing threats and security concerns.

The march was set to take place through central London and would have coincided with a demonstration by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), but was cancelled on Friday after the CAA received “numerous threats” and its monitoring identified “hostile actors” that posed a risk to the safety of Jewish people attending.

The CAA said it expected the “Walk Together” march would have drawn attendance in the thousands, but explained that owing to the high numbers “intending to join and then walk where they please—something that we used to take for granted in London as Jewish people without having to discuss with police ahead of time—we still do not have confidence that people would be safe.”

It continuing: “We have received numerous threats and our monitoring has identified hostile actors who seem to have intended to come to any meeting locations that we announced. The risk to the safety of those who wished to walk openly as Jews in London tomorrow as part of this initiative has therefore become too great.”

In a statement issued on Friday, London’s Metropolitan Police confirmed that the CAA’s event had been cancelled. The Met acknowledged the event may be rescheduled, saying: “Our officers will engage with the organisers to ensure there is a policing plan in place that means it can happen safely, recognising the increased concerns of many of those likely to be taking part.”

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Scotland Yard confirmed that the PSC’s protest would be travelling via Whitehall, Piccadilly, and Park Lane before ending in Hyde Park. A static demonstration organised by the pro-Israel Enough Is Enough group will also being taking place in Pall Mall.

Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist, who is responsible for public order policing, said the force’s objective was to “police without fear or favour, to protect the right to protest, and to keep the peace. All Londoners have a right to have their voices heard, just as they also have a right to go about their lives without fear and without being subject to serious disruption.”

Mr. Twist acknowledged the “particular cause of fear and uncertainty in Jewish communities” in the seven months since Hamas attacked Israel, which sparked a series of weekend protests by pro-Palestine groups.

“While there has been a Jewish presence on many of the PSC marches, there are many more Jewish people who do not travel into the centre of London on protest days, or who avoid the Tube, hide their identities, or otherwise change their behaviour. It is a reality that should concern us all.”

Scotland Yard said that since the Oct. 7 terror attacks in Israel, pro-Palestinian protests had resulted in 450 arrests, with 193 of those being for anti-Semitic offences, the majority of which involved placards and the chanting or expression of hate speech.

Mr. Falter had been going for a walk with others after going to synagogue, when he was stopped by police.

Gideon Falter speaking to a Metropolitan Police officer at a protest in central London on April 13, 2024. (Campaign Against Antisemitism/PA)

In footage posted by CAA, Mr. Falter was seen surrounded by police officers and told he could not walk across the marching crowd. One officer said he was worried about the reactions to Mr. Falter’s presence because he was “quite openly Jewish.”

Another officer was heard telling Mr. Falter he would be arrested for “causing a breach of peace” if he refused to be escorted out of the area because his presence was “antagonising a large [number] of people,” and the police “can’t deal with all of them” if they attacked him.

Mr. Twist later issued an apology over the incident, but the statement, which also said counter-protesters “must know their presence is provocative,” sparked more criticism, forcing Scotland Yard to issue a new apology over the apology.

PA Media and Lily Zhou contributed to this report.