THE Home Secretary has labelled pro-Palestine demonstrations as “displays of thuggish intimidation and extremism”.
It comes as the Metropolitan Police has urged organisers of demonstrations this weekend to consider postponing.
In a statement, the Met said: “The risk of violence and disorder linked to breakaway groups is growing.
“This is of concern ahead of a significant and busy weekend. Our message to organisers is clear. Please, we ask you to urgently reconsider.
“It is not appropriate to hold any protests in London this weekend.”
Scotland’s First Minister has already said any demonstrations should “absolutely” go ahead as he expressed his anger with the UK Government’s response to the plans.
Reacting to the Met’s statement, Suella Braverman posted on Twitter/X: “I welcome this statement from the Met Police.
“The hate marchers need to understand that decent British people have had enough of these displays of thuggish intimidation and extremism.”
Yousaf has already said that Braverman’s description of the demonstrations as “hate marches” is “unacceptable”.
The planned march in London this weekend would see demonstrators walk from Hyde Park to the US Embassy.
Speaking to journalists in Dundee on Monday, the First Minister said: “I am beyond angry at the Home Secretary and the UK Government who seem to want to drive every issue into a culture war.
“Describing those marches as hate marches is disgraceful, unacceptable.”
He added that “you’ll get one or two idiots who will do and say something that we all universally condemn” at marches but that “this UK Government is unfit for office and certainly the Home Secretary is unfit for office”.
Meanwhile, Braverman's own Cabinet colleague Alex Chalk (below) declined to repeat her description of demonstrations as "hate marches".
The Justice Secretary denied that the differing language was a sign of "confusion" in Government however.
He said: “There is no doubt there are elements on these marches that I’m afraid are espousing hate … but equally there will be those people who are there expressing their anguish at some of the untold suffering.
“The concern must be whether those people who have perfectly legitimate intentions and concerns are directly or indirectly supporting those people who are espousing hate.”
Asked whether it was a sign of confusion over language, he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “It’s not confusion. I think it’s an issue of semantics. The Home Secretary is absolutely correct when she says that there is hate on these marches.”
