Five Arrested Over Alleged Racial Hatred Incitement at Jewish Group Protest

Five people have been arrested on suspicion of inciting racial hatred following a protest outside the headquarters of the Board of Deputies of British Jews in north London, the Metropolitan Police said.

The arrests were made after what police described as a "spontaneous protest" outside the organisation's headquarters in Camden.

According to the Met, slogans calling for "intifada" were chanted during the protest.

The five people arrested remain in police custody while officers continue their investigation.

Protest outside Jewish community organisation

The Board of Deputies of British Jews is the UK's largest Jewish community organisation.

Following the arrests, the organisation said it would not be threatened or intimidated and thanked police for what it described as a swift response.

The incident has raised further concerns about the language being used during protests connected to the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

However, an arrest is not a finding of guilt, and the circumstances surrounding the alleged offences remain under investigation.

What does 'intifada' mean?

The word intifada became widely associated with Palestinian uprisings against Israeli occupation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, beginning with the First Intifada in 1987.

The term remains politically and emotionally contested.

Some Jewish organisations have argued that its use in protest contexts can amount to a call for violence against Jewish people.

Some pro-Palestinian groups, however, use the term to describe resistance to Israeli occupation and say it does not necessarily represent a call for violence.

The meaning and context in which the word is used can therefore be significant when assessing any particular incident.

Protests across London

The arrests came as other pro-Palestinian demonstrations were taking place across London, three years after the Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023.

Around 1,200 people were killed and 251 people were taken hostage in the attack, according to Israeli figures.

Israel subsequently launched a military campaign in Gaza.

The Hamas-run health ministry has reported that more than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed during the conflict. The figures are not independently verified by the Met and the wider death toll remains the subject of ongoing reporting and dispute.

Further demonstration planned

The Board of Deputies is due to hold a vigil at Richmond Terrace, near Whitehall, later on Wednesday.

Elsewhere in the capital, pro-Palestinian protesters took part in a separate demonstration despite a police request for the march to be called off.

The demonstration was organised by the University of London Coalition.

The events come amid heightened tensions surrounding protests and public debate over the continuing Israel-Gaza conflict.

Police investigation continues

The five people arrested remain in custody as the Metropolitan Police investigates the circumstances surrounding the protest.

The investigation will now determine what was said, the circumstances in which it was said and whether the evidence supports any criminal charges.

At this stage, the arrests relate to suspected offences, and no conviction has been recorded.

The investigation remains ongoing.