In another exchange a short time later he was told if he did not leave the area he would be arrested.
The officer told him: “If you chose to remain here because you are causing a breach of the peace with all of these other people you will be arrested…because your presence here is antagonising a large group of people.”
‘Controversial’ to go for a walk
Describing his reaction to the exchange, Mr Falter said: “I was identifiable as a Jew but was otherwise like any other Londoner.
“I was not part of any protest or counterprotest, and was not wearing any stickers or carrying any signs, flags or the like.
“I was exercising my right to walk around my home city as a Jewish Londoner. A year ago, that would not have been controversial. But now, it is.
“Despite being told repeatedly that London is safe for Jews when these marches are taking place, my interactions with police officers last Saturday show that the Met believes that being openly Jewish will antagonise the anti-Israel marchers and that Jews need protection, which the police cannot guarantee.
“Instead of addressing that threat of anti-Semitic violence, the Met’s policy instead seems to be that law-abiding Jewish Londoners should not be in the parts of London where these marches are taking place. In other words, that they are no-go zones for Jews.
Mr Falter said his issue was not with the individual officers he spoke to but with the Met’s overall policy to the weekly marches.
He said: “These officers are being put in an impossible position week in, week out. They are being asked to police huge protests with very few officers where there is all sorts of criminality on display from racism to glorification of terrorism and even violence, some of that violence directed against the officers themselves and so this is a very difficult situation for them as well.”
‘Gaslit by the Met’
Mr Falter said he had sympathy with front-line officers and said they were being asked to “make up the Met’s policy on the hoof”.
He said: “After months of being gaslit by the Met, the truth is it is not safe for Jews to be walking in the presence of these protests.”
Mr Falter said after six months of marches, which had left Jews feeling unsafe in London, it was time for the Met to take action.
He added: “Britain is rightly proud of its values of tolerance and decency and we cannot as a society accept that this is now going to be the norm.
“The obvious answer would be for the Metropolitan Police Service to use its existing powers under the Public Order Act either to curtail these marches or to ban them altogether.”
Mr Falter called on the Met Commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, to use the powers available to him to take appropriate action and said if he did not do this then he should be held to account by Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, and James Cleverly, the Home Secretary.
In a statement a Met spokesman said: “We are aware of this video and fully acknowledge the worry it has caused, not only to those featured, but also anyone who watches it, and will review the circumstances.
“We have always said that we recognise the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues to be an issue of concern for many Londoners, and this includes the regular protests and marches in central London.
“Everyone has the right to travel throughout the capital in safety. We will meet and discuss with anyone who wishes to organise a march or protest ahead of April 27 .”
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
