Britain’s top police officials said Wednesday they will act against protesters who chant “Globalize the intifada” or display the slogan on placards, marking a sharp policy shift after recent terrorist attacks targeting Jews.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley and Greater Manchester Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson said the phrase, long debated in legal circles, now warrants enforcement given an “escalating threat context.”
“Those using it at future protest or in a targeted way should expect the Met and GMP to take action,” the officials said in a joint statement. “We will act decisively and make arrests.”
The announcement follows a terrorist attack in Australia targeting Jews during Chanukah celebrations and a recent synagogue attack in Manchester’s Heaton Park. Both officials cited surging antisemitic hate crimes since 2023 and disrupted terrorist plots as reasons for the tougher stance.
Prosecutors previously advised police that such phrases don’t meet charging thresholds. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has ordered a review of public order and hate crime laws.
The policy applies to London and Greater Manchester, with officers receiving operational guidance. Authorities said lawful protest remains protected.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews “strongly welcomed” the announcement in a statement by the organization’s president, Phil Rosenberg, calling it a “tougher and clearer approach” and a “necessary intervention” following the group’s long-time advocacy of adopting the policy.
“We want to see this approach applied with consistency by police forces across the country, and for the CPS [the Crown Prosecution Service] to stand ready to prosecute offenders,” Rosenberg wrote.
“This new, more robust approach may not have come soon enough for Adrian Daulby, Melvin Cravitz [the victims of the Manchester synagogue attack] or the victims at Bondi Beach, but if we see this clarity and determination replicated across public authorities, media, and civil society, we will stand a far better chance of protecting our community and this country from further hate and violence,” the statement concluded.
