After Manchester and Sydney
British Police Are Cracking Down on Antisemitic Speech
Like many around the world, police in the United Kingdom took a hands-off approach to anti-Israel and antisemitic speech since October 7th. In the wake of the terrorist attacks in Manchester and Sydney, they've announced they'll be cracking down: "Words have meaning and consequences."
British police announced Wednesday that they will take a tougher enforcement approach against antisemitic chants and placards at protests, including the slogan “globalize the intifada,” saying recent terror attacks have fundamentally changed the context in which such language is used.
In a joint statement, London’s Metropolitan Police and Greater Manchester Police said officers would move more quickly to intervene and make arrests where chants or signs target the Jewish community. The announcement follows the mass-casualty terror attack at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in Sydney, in which 15 people were murdered, as well as an October attack outside a synagogue in Manchester that left two Jewish worshippers dead.
“We know communities are concerned about placards and chants such as ‘globalize the intifada,’” the police forces said. “Violent acts have taken place, the context has changed — words have meaning and consequence. We will act decisively and make arrests.”
For years, police have argued that many slogans used at pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel demonstrations did not meet the legal threshold for prosecution under existing hate speech laws. The new stance signals what authorities described as a recalibration, relying primarily on the Public Order Act to address intimidation and incitement in the wake of rising antisemitic incidents.
Jewish community groups welcomed the move. The Community Security Trust, which provides security and monitors antisemitism in the UK, said antisemitic incidents have surged since October 2023 and praised police for recognizing that chants long defended as political speech now carry a clearer connection to real-world violence. CST called the announcement “a necessary and overdue step” toward curbing incitement.
Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis has repeatedly warned that slogans such as “globalize the intifada” are not abstract political statements but calls that echo past waves of violence against Jews. Following the Manchester attack, Mirvis said recent events showed “exactly what those words mean.”
Pro-Palestinian protest organizers criticized the police decision, arguing it risks criminalizing political expression and narrowing the space for lawful protest. Police leaders responded that the aim is not to suppress demonstrations but to prevent intimidation and protect vulnerable communities.
Officers across London and Greater Manchester will be briefed on the new approach in the coming days, as authorities balance the right to protest with heightened security concerns for Jewish communities across the UK.