Pro-Palestinian protesters preventing police from ‘looking after communities’ – minister | Politics News

Pro-Palestinian protesters are stopping police from “looking after communities” – a minister has claimed, as he defended the home secretary’s demand they stop their regular rallies.

Policing minister Chris Philp said the UK is a “free country” where people have “the right to protest” but rowed behind comments made by James Cleverly – who said demonstrations over the Israel-Hamas war should stop because protesters had “made their point”.

Speaking to Kay Burley on Sky News Breakfast, Mr Philp said the regular rallies over the Gaza conflict were putting “huge pressure” on policing and had cost forces £25m so far.

“I think he’s concerned that the demands being placed on policing by these repeated protests are quite significant,” he said of Mr Cleverly’s comments.

“Its cost about £25m – it’s a big drain on resources.

“It’s stopping police obviously looking after the communities where they would otherwise be deployed on a Saturday.

“There have been quite a lot of these protests now. I think he was saying that they’ve made their point.”

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Mr Philp added: “Of course, they have the right to protest. If they want to protest, they can. We are a free country. But he is saying it’s putting big demands on policing and he’s asking them to just think about whether they really need to carry on with quite such frequency.”

In his interview with The Times, Mr Cleverly said the government was considering changing protest rules because of the “huge pressure” that has been put on policing.

The home secretary told the newspaper protest organisers could be required to give more than the mandated six days’ notice to police – a change recommended by the Home Affairs Committee in a report yesterday, along with a range of other recommendations.

He also said it was vital no MP felt “bullied” into changing their stance on the war as he confirmed a £31m package would be provided to boost security for MPs in light of the abuse some of them have faced.

Earlier this month, pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside the home of Tory MP Tobias Ellwood, while it has been reported three female MPs have been given bodyguards and chauffeur-driven cars.

Last week, Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle faced a backlash from some MPs after he broke parliamentary convention to allow a vote on a Labour amendment to an SNP motion calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza over fears MPs’ safety could be compromised if they were denied the opportunity to do so.

Mr Cleverly said no MP should have to accept threats as “part of the job”.

“I think the organisers should recognise that they’ve made their point, they’ve made it loudly and they’re not adding to it by repeating themselves,” he said.

“I think it’s really important that no one, no parliamentarian, feels that they should be bullied into taking a position they don’t believe is the right position.”

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He added: “So I genuinely don’t know what these regular protests are seeking to achieve.

“They have made their position clear, we recognise that there are many people in the UK that hold that position, we respect that, but the UK government’s position is a disagreement with that for very practical, well thought-out reasons.”

Mr Philp told Sky News the notice period organisers would need to give ahead of large protests could be extended to two weeks, although he said nothing had been decided.

The policing minister also said making it easier for police to ban face coverings, fireworks and flares were among the changes being considered to the Criminal Justice Bill.

James Murray, shadow financial secretary to the Treasury, said Labour would “look at any proposals” brought forward by the government.

“I think what we need to get right is a balance between legitimate protest, which is a healthy and important part of our democracy – with the fact that MPs and their offices and their families need to not be threatened or intimidated, or face a threat of violence,” he said.