People should not be prevented from going about their day-to-day lives, a government minister has told Sky News, following a row over the police handling of a pro-Palestinian demonstration.
Footage showed a Metropolitan Police officer preventing campaigner Gideon Falter, the chief executive of the Campaign Against Antisemitism, from crossing a road near the march in London.
The officer said Mr Falter, who was wearing a kippah skull cap, was “openly Jewish” and that he was “worried about the reaction” to his presence at the demonstration.
Mr Falter has since called on Met Police chief Sir Mark Rowley to resign and accused the force of “victim-blaming” following the encounter.
Extended footage of the incident shows the officer accused Mr Falter of wanting to walk against the flow of the march and of being “disingenuous” in his claim he wanted to simply cross the road.
He offers the campaigner safe passage at a different location which is declined. As the tension rises and the officer raises his voice Mr Falter repeatedly tries to push past him.
Sir Mark has defended the actions of his officer during the incident on 13 April, saying they were “professional”, while admitting some of the words used during the exchange were “clumsy and offensive”
