Over 80 People Charged With Hate Crimes Linked To Pro-Palestinian Protests In UK

More than 80 people have been charged in connection with alleged hate crimes that took place during pro-Palestinian protests in the UK.

The cases pertain to the demonstrations in the UK over the past few weeks in support of Palestine. Thousands of people were seen taking part in pro-Palestinian protests in London days after Israel declared war in response to the October 7 Hamas attacks.

Israel retaliated after the militant group launched an unprecedented coordinated attack on the country. Gaza-based Hamas attacked Israel with a barrage of some 2,000–5,000 missiles on October 7. Hamas brutally massacred 1,400 Israelis (mostly civilians) and took over 200 hostages in the surprise assault.

The pro-Palestinian demonstrations were in response to the Israeli Defense Force's retaliatory strikes on Gaza, which have resulted in thousands of casualties.

The Met Police made almost 400 arrests between October 7 and November 18. Scotland Yard said they are also analysing images of protesters linked to the commotion on Armistice Day.

Jewish families leaving a synagogue faced the wrath of pro-Palestinian demonstrators. The incident occurred as thousands gathered for a march on Armistice Day. The demonstrators waved Palestinian flags and sprayed green smoke at families leaving the synagogue.

The footage that went viral on social media showed some people with anti-Semitic signs. One such placard compared Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler and Gaza to Auschwitz.

A 75-year-old protester from Hackney, east London, who threw red paint at the Israeli embassy as a symbol of protest, will be sentenced next month in connection with the incident.

London witnessed a 1,353% rise in anti-Semitic incidents in the first week of the Hamas attack, according to the Met Police.

The Met Police force says it has seen a 13-fold upsurge in reports of anti-Semitic offences in October compared to last year. The Met also found that anti-Muslim crimes have more than doubled compared to last year.

It has been more than a month since the conflict began, and there are no signs of it ending anytime soon. The war has had repercussions the world over. Anti-Israel protests and anti-Semitic attacks are being reported from various countries, including the UK.

Last Sunday, a Jewish school was hit by gunfire in Montreal, Canada. The incident is being described as an anti-Semitic attack by the local media. However, no injuries were reported in the attack.

More protests in London are expected to occur as well as in other places across the UK. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made it clear that anti-Semitic attacks will not be tolerated in the country.