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The Labour government, the police and the right wing media have seized on the stabbing of two Jewish people in Golders Green to witch-hunt Muslims and the Palestine movement. The media is ignoring the fact that a third victim who was stabbed first was a Muslim.
Home secretary Shabana Mahmood had suggested on Wednesday that she would ban Palestine marches in London.
Jonathan Hall KC—the British state’s “terrorism tsar”—jumped to claim that the Palestine marches in London had “incubated” antisemitism and demanded a “moratorium”.
Hall does not even pretend to be a “neutral” bureaucrat reviewing terror laws. He is zealot of the “war on terror” which saw the British state push Islamophobia and attacks on civil liberties to justify imperialist wars.
He supports the ban on Palestine Action, a non-violent direct action group, under the Terrorism Act 2000.
Once again, the British state is deliberately conflating Jewish people and the Israeli settler colony.
The Labour government sniffs an opportunity to get back on the front foot after setbacks over repressing the Palestine movement.
Zack Polanski, the leader of the Green Party, slammed Labour for “using Jewish pain” to justify an “authoritarian agenda”.
The best way to defend democratic rights is to use them in mass numbers.
The Palestine solidarity and anti-fascist movements are urging “everyone to London” on Saturday 16 May. They have called a demonstration under the slogans, “Nakba 78—justice for Palestine,” and, “United against Tommy Robinson and the far right.”
Robinson called a mobilisation in central London on the same day as the Nakba Day march, which marks Israel’s ethnic cleansing of Palestinians since 1948.
The Metropolitan police—which is spearheading the British state’s repression of the Palestine movement—wants to give the fascists free rein in central London.
The coalition that organises the national demonstrations for Palestine and Stand Up To Racism (SUTR) have called the march.
Lindsey German is convenor of Stop The War (STW), one of the organisers of the Palestine marches. She told Socialist Worker, “There is growing pressure to ban Palestine marches under the false pretext that they are fostering antisemitism.
“We condemn the attacks on Jewish people unreservedly but they have no connection with the marches. These are mass, diverse and peaceful events protesting at the horrors inflicted on the Palestinians, at the actions of the Israeli government and at the complicity of our own government. Many Jewish people attend them.
“Many of those attacking them—including the fascist Tommy Robinson—do so because they want to scapegoat and demonise Muslims. We are determined to oppose this racism, which is fostered by Reform but also mainstream politicians and the media, and which leads to daily attacks on the Muslim community.”
Lewis Nielsen, Stand Up To Racism (SUTR) national officer, told Socialist Worker, “The antisemitic attack in Golders Green was horrific—and antisemitism needs to be fought wherever it appears.
“What we are seeing now is the right, politicians and the state whipping up an onslaught against the Palestine movement and Muslims.
“The police commissioner is blaming the ‘extreme left’. We have to oppose the attempts to use the horrific attack to silence solidarity with Gaza, and resist the Islamophobic bile being directed at Muslims.”
He added, “A big part of that is getting the biggest possible turnout on 16 May in London against fascist Tommy Robinson and the real racists.”
See below for demonstration and transport details.
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