UK Police Move to Criminalize Pro-Palestinian Chanting

By Staff, Agencies

London and Manchester police have announced plans to arrest demonstrators who chant or display the phrase “globalize the intifada,” a move widely seen as a major escalation in the policing of pro-Palestinian protests across Britain.

In a joint statement released Wednesday, the Metropolitan Police and Greater Manchester Police said they would adopt a “more assertive” posture, citing security concerns following violent incidents abroad and in Britain. The announcement marks a reversal from previous legal guidance, under which prosecutors had determined that the phrase did not meet the threshold for criminal charges.

Police officials acknowledged that earlier assessments found no legal basis for arrest, but said the current political and security climate justified a tougher approach. “The context has changed,” the statement said, arguing that language used at protests should now be treated differently.

The decision comes amid intense scrutiny of pro-Palestinian demonstrations that have taken place regularly since the “Israeli” entity’s war on Gaza, as well as a broader debate over free speech and political expression in Britain. While police cite a rise in antisemitic hate crimes, Palestinian solidarity groups say authorities are increasingly conflating legitimate protest against “Israeli” policies with extremism.

Supporters of Palestinian rights note that the Arabic term intifada, which literally means “shaking off,” has historically referred to popular resistance against occupation and oppression, not violence against civilians. They argue that criminalizing the phrase represents an attempt to delegitimize Palestinian political expression and silence solidarity movements.

Britain’s Chief Rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, has called for stricter limits on protest language, describing the chant as incitement. His comments have been welcomed by organizations that campaign against antisemitism, including the Community Security Trust, which praised the police move as long overdue.

Pro-Palestinian groups, however, condemned the announcement as a dangerous precedent. Ben Jamal, director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, described it as “another low point in the repression of protest for Palestinian rights,” warning that authorities are using unrelated acts of violence to justify curbs on democratic freedoms.

“This is about policing speech, not protecting public safety,” campaigners argue, saying the crackdown risks eroding the right to protest and disproportionately targets those speaking out against the “Israeli” entity’s actions.

The new enforcement policy is expected to have an immediate impact on large demonstrations planned in London and Manchester, including a protest scheduled outside Britain’s justice department later this week.