The cost of policing mass pro-Palestinian protests in central London has exceeded £53 million, it emerged.
The Metropolitan Police released staggering new figures days after mayor Sir Sadiq Khan said there will be “no need” for such rallies if the Israel-Gaza ceasefire holds.
Scotland Yard is increasingly concerned over the extraction of hundreds of officers from boroughs where they could be tackling the scourge of mobile phone snatches, shoplifting, violent crime and burglary.
In addition to £46.8m the force previously spent on Operation Brocks - its response to the 15-month Middle East conflict - another £1.76m was shelled out in October, £2.95m in November and £1.84m in December. Totals for January are partially completed and will be released later.
Over 70,000 officer shifts have been dedicated to Op Brocks since Hamas’ murderous attack on southern Israel in October 2023 and the Israelis’ revenge which claimed more than 46,000 Palestinian lives.
Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley believes resources deployed to large demonstrations could have been used to investigate “crime, robberies, burglaries and chasing down wanted offenders”.
With another march by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign planned to descend on the US embassy next weekend, police are reflecting on 77 arrests - the highest number across more than 20 national PSC protests - in Trafalgar Square on January 18.
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and his shadow chancellor John McDonnell agreed to be interviewed under caution after the event.
Sir Sadiq, who supports the right to protest lawfully, said: “I have Jewish friends, colleagues and constituents who are frightened on a Saturday to come into the centre of our city for no other reason than because they are Jewish.
“There has been a rise in antisemitism. There is a phrase that those of us who aren’t Jewish need to understand – it’s called ‘heightened fear’.
“It makes me angry and distressed that there are Londoners who can’t go around our city because they are worried about being at the receiving end of antisemitism.”
Ben Jamal, director of the PSC, said “a price or a time limit” cannot be put on democratic rights.
He told the Standard: “At the moment there is a fragile temporary ceasefire in Gaza, despite Israel still committing attacks there, and there are intense assaults in the occupied Palestinian territory of the West Bank, where Israel has killed 70 people since January, including 10 children, blowing up residential buildings in the process.
“In these circumstances, there is no doubt whatsoever that we will continue marching for Palestinian rights and to end Britain’s complicity with Israel’s crimes under international law.
“It is a fundamental democratic right that we are exercising - to peacefully protest against injustice.
“We cannot put a price or a time limit on democratic rights, otherwise they cease to be rights and we risk our democracy.
“These Marches for Palestine have been overwhelmingly peaceful, as the police themselves have admitted, which begs the question as to why the Met feel they need to commit so many officers to their policing.”
However, a Campaign Against Antisemitism spokesman added: “The mayor has said the right thing, but over a year too late.
“Why only now, when there is a ceasefire and naturally less impetus for regular marches, has he suddenly found his courage and called for an end to them?
“He himself admits that Jewish Londoners have been afraid to travel into London on a Saturday for no other reason that because they are Jewish.
“But he has been the Mayor for all this time and has responsibility for policing in the capital.
“Our representative polling shows that only 9 per cent of British Jews are satisfied with his performance in relation to the Jewish community since October 7, 2023.
“The mayor will have to do a lot more than this, and take firmer action, to give reassurance to the London’s Jews.”
