MICHELLE Donelan MP has called for robust police action against pro-Palestinian protesters calling for jihad and the destruction of Israel.
The Science Secretary told GB News: “We have very stringent laws in this country around terrorism and also the Public Order Act and the police should be using the full weight of the law to ensure that people aren’t inciting violence or inciting hatred.
“It is not OK to be shouting jihad on our public streets. The Home Secretary has been addressing these issues directly with our police and we continue to talk to them to make sure that they are utilising the full weight of the law to ensure that we can maintain public order to protect our citizens, which is the top priority of any government.”
In a discussion with Camilla Tominey, she added: “Operational decisions are in the hands of the police. They are operationally independent and of course they will have more information around the context of things etc.
“But what we are saying is our law is robust. It needs to be applied in that fashion.
“It is not OK to incite violence or hatred on our streets. It is not OK to be doing that in relation to proscribed terrorist organisations as well.”
Asked if people should be chanting “from the river to the sea”, she said: “On that very phrase, the implications are the eradication of Israel, which is deeply not just offensive, but also deeply dangerous in terms of its sentiment, if that is how it is being applied.
“So the police absolutely need to be mindful of that. And the Home Secretary has been very clear and I believe wrote to police forces on that very topic along with others.”
She also said the suspended MP Peter Bone should not be campaigning for the Conservatives: “I’d say that if you’re not a Conservative you shouldn’t be advertising and promoting the Conservative Party. I mean, that seems like common sense to me.”
