Is it now a crime to be a Jew in London? That seems to be the suggestion of the Metropolitan Police. At a ‘pro-Palestine’ march on Saturday, a Jewish man was threatened with arrest, supposedly because his mere presence was ‘antagonising’ the protesters and breaching the peace.

That might sound too shocking to be believed, but the altercation was captured on video:

“You are quite openly Jewish. This is a pro-Palestinian march. I am not accusing you of anything, but I am worried about the reaction to your presence.”

Enough is enough. It is time for a major change.

On Saturday 27th April — the next anti-Israel march — we are asking you,… pic.twitter.com/lfJr7UZnif

— Campaign Against Antisemitism (@antisemitism) April 18, 2024

As Gideon Falter, CEO of Campaign Against Antisemitism, explains, he was simply trying to enjoy a walk around London with friends after they had been to synagogue that morning. But when they found themselves caught in the path of one of the weekly Palestine marches, they were confronted by police.

Falter and his friends were not there to counter-protest or to wind up the demonstrators. They weren’t carrying placards, wearing badges or even engaging with the protesters at all. (Although they should of course be entitled to do that, too.) Falter only caught the attention of the police because he was wearing a kippah and carrying a small bag with a Star of David on it, both of which marked him out as Jewish.