Al Quds London 2019

To London to join with patriot friends and several Jewish groups to counter the annual Al Quds parade through central London. Since the US embassy moved from central to south London their route has changed (again). This year it was muster in Marsham Street in Westminster outside the Home Office, and then to march to Downing Street. I believe the choice of the Home Office was in protest at the banning of their pet terrorist organisation Hezbullah, in its entirety, not just the military wing. So this year there were no yellow and green flags with AK47s on. But the march, despite being a festival of hate and anti-semitism went ahead. 

The counter protests were divided that some Jewish groups under the aegis of Campaign4truth – We have returned started at Marsham Street while others under the Zionist Federation covered the rally point in Whitehall. We went there first and saw them beginning to arrive as the Al Quds group set up their wide screen, ready for screaming.

Then we took the back street route to the Home Office. The police were making very sure that no counter group or even an innocent member of the public got anywhere near the Al Quds group. And to make doubly sure they had their own stewards and hired security.

We are ‘ard – we are ‘eavy. 

The young woman in the yellow hi-vis jerkin and black hijab is a Constable of the Metropolitan police; the young woman in the yellow hi-vis jerkin and brown hijab is an Islamic Human Rights Commission steward.

We slipped away from the muster and were able to watch the march turn into Horseferry Road. Jewish boys with the Israeli flag walked in front of them VERY slowly. Then they turned round and stopped. But the police were having none of it; they were encircled and moved out of the road and the march continued. 

We got ahead of them again and into Millbank. 

Where they were met by more people from Campaign4truth – we have returned. Music, colour, laughter, dance, singing, life. L’chaim

Then somebody set off a smoke bomb.

I don’t know who.

She tried to stop him in his tracks, but to no avail

They were funnelled through the building work along such a narrow tunnel of heras fencing that I really hoped that they would sit down. That would have blocked the Al Quds march behind, and the police would have had a difficult job getting in to drag and carry them out. But it didn’t happen. 

Then into Whitehall where they joined the Zionist Federation groups with hugs and cheers. 

The Al Quds group entered their area which was round the Cenotaph, from which the memorial wreaths had been removed further into the road for safety. This week is the 75th anniversary of D-Day. There were also wreaths commemorating Lee Rigby, the Armenian genocide and (although they are not dead) thinking of the British soldiers under investigation. 

Ageing juvenile lead Nazim Ali was on stage spouting his usual lies and offence.
“I hope you were not intimidated by those fascists and racists holding Israeli flags we saw on the way” 

By rights he shouldn’t have been present at all. He should be serving a term at Her Majesty’s pleasure for racist remarks at the 2017 march. However the CPS declined to prosecute him and  they also blocked the private prosecution brought by the Campaign Against Antisemitism. The CAA challenged that decision but in January this year the the High Court upheld the CPS decision. The Judges interpreted the remarks as  criticism of the government, remarks which may be ‘distressing’ but have to be looked at in context.

A CAA spokesman said: “Our judicial review did not succeed because the court decided that the decision to drop the case could not be characterised as irrational. That is hardly a ringing endorsement of the CPS’ conduct. We deeply regret that once more, hate speech on our streets has gone unpunished.”

Oh – look! He’s doing a certain salute. Well that’s what they say about us. 

See how close they were to the Cenotaph. That was so very, very wrong. The group of young men behind the screen were shouting at some Englishmen on the other side of the road. When the shouts of Allah Akbar went up the police moved in, but whether to protect them, or contain them I know not. 

Wreaths moved, hate spoken and the sound of the Islamic war-cry as they milled around the memorial to the fallen of two world wars.  Conservative candidate for Mayor of London in the election next May, Shaun Bailey, has said that stopping the anti-Israel annual Al Quds Day march would be a priority for him. I’d vote for that. 

 

Photographs E Weatherwax and her husband June 2019 London