Suella Braverman slammed for ‘out of control’ comments on pro-Palestinian march

Suella Braverman has been condemned as “out of control” after accusing the police of “playing favourites” with protest groups, and calling pro-Palestinian rallies “hate marches”.

The home secretary suggested that “pro-Palestinian mobs” are “largely ignored, even when clearly breaking the law”, complaining that police don’t treat them as harshly as far right and nationalist marches.

Braverman’s comments in The Times come ahead of a pro-Palestinian march planned for Remembrance Sunday on 12 November.

Rishi Sunak, who described the planned protest as “disrespectful”, has already tried – and failed – to persuade Metropolitan Police boss Mark Rowley to cancel the march altogether.

Organisers of the pro-Palestine march have said it will not go near the Cenotaph, where the Armistice Day ceremony is held, and will start nearly two hours after the minute’s silence for remembrance.

Braverman said: “I do not believe that these marches are merely a cry for help for Gaza.”

She claimed “there is a perception that senior police officers play favourites when it comes to protesters”.

She added: “Right-wing and nationalist protesters who engage in aggression are rightly met with a stern response yet pro-Palestinian mobs displaying almost identical behaviour are largely ignored, even when clearly breaking the law.”

Braverman was slammed by figures across the political spectrum, with shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper saying she was “out of control”.

She said the article “is a highly irresponsible, dangerous attempt to undermine respect for police at a sensitive time, to rip up operational independence and to inflame community tensions”.

Cooper added: “No other home secretary of any party would ever do this.”

Fellow Cabinet minister Mark Harper also declined to endorse Braverman’s view when pressed on Times Radio on Thursday morning.

“I think all police forces are focused on upholding the law without fear or favor,” the transport secretary said.

“That’s what they do.”

The pro-Palestine marches come in response to Israel killing more than 10,000 people in Gaza in the last month.

Israel is retaliating to an attack by Hamas which killed 1,400 people on 7 October, and has said it is targeting Hamas commanders.

However, about 4,000 of the civilian deaths were children, according to the UN.

London mayor Sadiq Khan said Braverman’s words were “inaccurate, inflammatory and irresponsible”.

Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Alistair Carmichael added: “Suella Braverman is running a Conservative party leadership campaign, not the Home Office.

“The home secretary’s desire to stoke divisions and ramp up tensions in this way is irresponsible and dangerous.”

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