The Metropolitan Police promised London a “zero-tolerance” operation. What London got instead was a £4.5million masterclass in performative policing.

Ahead of the Nakba 78, Stand Up to the Far Right, and United the Kingdom marches on 16 May, Deputy Assistant Commissioner (DAC) James Harman delivered what sounded less like a policing briefing and more like the trailer for a dystopian action film. There would be 4,000 officers, helicopters, drones, mounted units, armoured vehicles, live facial recognition, and dedicated investigative teams. The police would use “The most assertive possible use of our powers”, there would be “Zero tolerance” to offending, leading to “Swift arrests”. Assertive conditions were imposed on the demonstrations, and powers to disperse people and to remove face coverings from protesters were authorised.  DAC Harman promised “We will deal swiftly and decisively with anyone who thinks they can come to London on Saturday to abuse that right by committing crime.” 

Splendid. Britain’s Jews might reasonably have assumed that, for once, the authorities were taking seriously the tidal wave of intimidation and hatred that has become a routine feature of anti-Israel protests in London since 7 October 2023.

And then reality arrived.

For two hours on Piccadilly, a tiny group of Jews, Israelis and their allies stood waving Israeli flags, dancing and playing music. Around them surged thousands of protesters. The police presence was measly. There were enough officers to create a safety barrier around the counter-protesters, too few to deal with any offences that arose. This was supposedly the “highest degree of control” the Met could impose. 

Hate crimes occurred repeatedly, openly and directly in front of police officers. Not hidden away in a side street. Not discovered later on social media after grainy footage emerged online. Right there. In real time. Under the noses of one of the largest policing operations London has seen in years.

The swift and assertive action was completely underwhelming.

In a lull of the crowd, one protester marched past........

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