Israel-Hamas war: Thousands take to London streets in march against antisemitism
Before people gathered for the march against antisemitism, a large area around Westminster had been cordoned off to traffic with large numbers of police officers from around the country lining the route in central London.
Ahead of the largest demonstration held by British Jews since the Israel-Hamas war began, organisers from the Campaign Against Antisemitism said the large pro-Palestinian marches that have been held in the capital have made London a “no-go zone for Jews”.
As the crowds gathered, Boris Johnson spent a short time meeting marchers to show his support, while several celebrities helped lead the demonstration.
Follow latest: US girl, 4, freed by Hamas
Presenter Rachel Riley told Sky News: “I’m out here today because Jews in this country feel scared, they feel under attack, some people are scared to send their children to school.
“I’ve been looking over my shoulder like I never have before.”
Rachel Riley told Sky ‘I’ve been looking over my shoulder like I never have before’. Pic: PA
But in a nearby cafe, controversial far-right activist Tommy Robinson was live streaming to his online followers.
Organisers of the march had warned he would not be welcome, after he signalled his intention to attend.
Police warned him if he left the cafe to join the march they would move him on. As he came out, officers surrounded him.
He told them he was there in his capacity as a journalist, but police led him away and he was later arrested.
March organiser Stephen Silverman told Sky News he didn’t want Mr Robinson aligning himself with their cause.
“This march is about tolerance, it’s about inclusion, it’s about kindness,” he said.
“Anyone who wants to use it in order to exploit hate, or sew division is not welcome.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Tommy Robinson arrested
Many on the march spoke to their own experiences of antisemitism. But they accepted that the suffering of Palestinians had brought hundreds of thousands of British people out onto the streets in recent weeks.
“We obviously, obviously sympathise with innocent people of any description caught up in any conflict anywhere in the world,” one man said.
“We really mean that but it’s not OK to therefore equate and then attack British Jews for a conflict happening halfway across the world.”
Another woman condemned some of the chanting during the pro-Palestinian marches.
“People are allowed to have free speech but I think when you have ‘from the river to the sea’ – in the Jewish community that means one thing and that’s what we’re quite fearful about,” she said.
Read more:
Irish-Israeli schoolgirl reunited with dad
Who are the first 26 Israeli hostages released by Hamas?
Organisers estimated 60,000 took part in today’s march against antisemitism. Pic: Reuters
The march was peaceful, with chants of “bring them home” as people held up posters of Israeli hostages still being held by Hamas.
Actor Eddie Marsan – who isn’t Jewish but has previously spoken of antisemitism abuse he has received for playing a Jewish character – was among the crowd.
“There’s going to be moderate people on pro-Palestinian marches and there’s going to be moderate people here and what I’m here to do is to encourage moderate people to stand up and have a voice and to take on the extremists at any side,” he said.
“That’s what we need – we need more moderate people standing up.”
In the first 18 days of October, there was a 1,353% increase in antisemitic offences, the Met Police said. Pic: PA
Organisers estimated 60,000 took part in the first march against antisemitism held in London since the Israel-Hamas war began. The march finished just after 6pm.
A total of two arrests have taken place as of 6.10pm, including Mr Robinson. The Metropolitan Police said: “As the crowds left along Whitehall, a man was heard to make antisemitic comments.
“He was arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence.”
Addressing those marching during his speech, Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis told the crowd at Parliament Square British Jews “will not be intimidated” by antisemitism.
He said: “We call for a strengthening of community cohesion and we will forever be proud to champion the finest of British values.”
Other celebrities spotted in the crowd included Vanessa Feltz and Robert Rinder, as well as actors Tracy-Ann Oberman, Elliot Levey and Maureen Lipman.
Antisemitic and Islamophobic hate crimes motivated by racism have increased dramatically since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
In the first 18 days of October, there was a 1,353% increase in antisemitic offences and a 140% rise in Islamophobic offences, the Met Police said at the time.
The Community Security Trust, which collects reports of antisemitism in the UK, recorded at least 805 antisemitic incidents between 7 and 27 October; the highest ever recorded in a 21-day period.
Tell Mama, which counts Islamophobic incidents, recorded 291 incidents of anti-Muslim hate between 7 and 19 October, a sixfold increase on the same period last year.
NHS league tables revealing failing NHS trusts and cancelled pay rises or dismissal for managers who don’t turn things around are to form part of the government’s plans to improve the health service.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting is confirming new measures he hopes will boost failing hospital trusts and encourage successful ones.
The changes form part of the Labour government’s strategy to reduce waiting lists “from 18 months to 18 weeks”.
Politics latest: ‘Eye-watering’ climate target announced by PM
Health and the state of the NHS were consistently among the most important issues for voters at this year’s general election – with Labour blaming the Conservatives for “breaking” it.
As health is a devolved area, any reforms proposed in Westminster would only apply to England.
Chief among Mr Streeting’s proposals is a “league table” for NHS trusts.
An announcement from the Department for Health and Social Care said: “NHS England will carry out a no-holds-barred sweeping review of NHS performance across the entire country, with providers to be placed into a league table.
“This will be made public and regularly updated to ensure leaders, policy-makers and patients know which improvements need to be prioritised.”
It also promises to replace “persistently failing managers” – with “turn around teams” being sent in to improve trusts running sizeable deficits or offering poor service to patients.
The government says “senior managers” who fail to make progress will not be eligible for pay rises.
There will be “financial implications” for more senior figures such as chief executives if their trust does not improve.
On the flip-side, those trusts that are deemed to be “high-performing” will get “greater freedom over funding and flexibility”.
Senior leaders at these trusts will also be “rewarded”.
The government says the current system is not incentivising trusts to run a budget surplus, as they cannot benefit from it.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
NHS reform: ‘Be careful what you wish for’
Read more on the NHS:
Reform will not begin right away – Streeting
Govt ask for ideas to ‘help fix our NHS’
NHS must ‘reform or die’, warns PM
Mr Streeting said: “The budget showed this government prioritises the NHS, providing the investment needed to rebuild the health service.
“Today we are announcing the reforms to make sure every penny of extra investment is well spent and cuts waiting times for patients.
“There’ll be no more turning a blind eye to failure. We will drive the health service to improve, so patients get more out of it for what taxpayers put in.
“Our health service must attract top talent, be far more transparent to the public who pay for it, and run as efficiently as global businesses.
“With the combination of investment and reform, we will turn the NHS around and cut waiting times from 18 months to 18 weeks.”
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
Concerns from health representatives
Amanda Pritchard, the chief executive of NHS England, said: “While NHS leaders welcome accountability, it is critical that responsibility comes with the necessary support and development.
“The extensive package of reforms, developed together with government, will empower all leaders working in the NHS and it will give them the tools they need to provide the best possible services for our patients.”
Further plans on how monitoring will be published by the start of the next financial year in April 2025, the government said.
Matthew Taylor, the chief executive of the NHS Confederation – a body that represents all NHS trusts – said healthcare leaders welcome the “government’s ambition”.
However, he said he was concerned league tables and reducing pay may “strip out” the nuance of what’s going on.
👉 Listen to Politics At Jack And Sam’s on your podcast app👈
Mr Taylor said: “NHS staff are doing their very best for patients under very challenging circumstances and we do not want them feeling like they are being named and shamed.
“League tables in themselves do not lead to improvement, trusts struggling with consistent performance issues – some of which reflect contextual issues such as underlying population heath and staff shortages – need to be identified and supported in order to recover.”
UK
Princess of Wales’s annual carol concert to focus on ‘how much we need others in difficult times’
The Princess of Wales will host her Christmas carol concert this year, reflecting on “how much we need each other, especially in the most difficult times of our lives”.
The service, which has become an annual festive event for Kate, will take place on the 6 December at Westminster Abbey, as part of her return to public duties after finishing her chemotherapy treatment earlier this year.
In September, the princess said her focus is “doing what I can to stay cancer-free”.
Last week, Prince William described how the past year had been “brutal” and probably “the hardest year in my life”, with his father, the King, also receiving cancer treatment.
Both the King and Kate joined other members of the Royal Family for the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph in London on Sunday.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Princess of Wales at Remembrance Sunday
Announcing the date of the Together At Christmas carol service, Kensington Palace said: “This year’s service provides a moment to reflect upon the importance of love and empathy, and how much we need each other, especially in the most difficult times of our lives.
“The service will shine a light on individuals from all over the UK who have shown love, kindness and empathy towards others in their communities.”
The Princess of Wales’s family at the service in 2021. Pic: PA
It will be the fourth time Kate has staged the carol service, which is supported by her and her husband’s Royal Foundation.
Around 1,600 people will be invited to sing carols and see musical performances by stars including Paloma Faith, Olivia Dean and Gregory Porter.
Those who have supported others, either on a personal level with friends and family or through their work or volunteering, have been nominated to attend.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Kate ‘doing really well’
The palace added that this year Kate “wanted to celebrate the many people supporting those in need – individuals who have inspired, counselled, comforted, and above all else shown that love is the greatest gift we can receive”.
The theme takes inspiration from the Christmas story, “which encourages us to consider the experiences of others and the important human need of giving and receiving empathy”.
Read more from Sky News:
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby resigns
Magic Circle on the hunt for first female member
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
Across the UK, 15 Together At Christmas community carol services will also be held, including at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro and Blackpool Tower Circus.
The event will be filmed as part of a special programme which will air on ITV and ITVX on Christmas Eve.
Fines of £10,000 for social media bosses who don’t remove illegal knife adverts are being considered by the government.
The proposals are part of attempts by Labour to fulfil their promise to halve knife crime levels in the next decade.
The Home Office wants to introduce the measures to stop the “unacceptable use of social media and online marketplaces to market illegal weapons and glorify violence” and ensure content is quickly removed.
Under the plans, police would be empowered to issue warnings to senior officials at online companies and demand specific adverts and content be removed – potentially within two days.
A second notice could then be given if action is not taken – with senior executives “personally liable” for a “significant fine” if nothing is done.
While the exact scale of the financial penalty has not been confirmed, a consultation suggested £10,000 for the worst offenders, according to the PA news agency.
Sir Keir Starmer previously spoke of his desire to make buying knives online harder.
In September, he hosted a meeting of a new anti-knife crime coalition including actor Idris Elba and bereaved families, among others.
Elba told the meeting: “Talk is good, but action is important.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Idris Elba: ‘Talk is good, action is more important’
As well as reducing the sale of knives online, the government also wants to change the law around ninja swords.
Work is currently ongoing to decide a definition of the weapons.
It comes on the back of campaigning by Pooja Kanda, the mother of 16-year-old Ronan Kanda.
Ronan was killed in Wolverhampton by two 17-year-olds in 2022, who used a weapon purchased online under an alias and collected from a Post Office.
Read more:
Cutting knife crime ‘moral mission’ for Labour
Elba joins Starmer for anti-knife coalition meeting
Mum of murdered boy ‘feels heard’ with new laws
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said perpetrators “must face the full force of the law” as she announced the “tough new sanctions”, adding: “The epidemic of knife crime that has grown over the last decade is devastating families and communities right across the country.
“That’s why this government has set out an unprecedented mission to halve knife crime over the next decade and today we’re taking determined action to get lethal blades off Britain’s streets.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Home Sec vows to halve knife crime
Commander Stephen Clayman, who leads the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s work on knife crime and is also heading a review of online sales of the weapons for the Home Office, said: “For far too long, deadly weapons have been far too easily accessible online, with content promoting their use for protection and combat rife on many platforms and seemingly little being done to remove it.
“We welcome the chance to take part in the consultation and explore the most effective means of achieving this, including using the findings of the ongoing online sales review.”
-
Sports2 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports7 months agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports1 year agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Environment1 year agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Sports3 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business2 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway