Thousands of members of the Jewish community and allies descended on 10 Downing Street today to call on the government to do more to tackle antisemitism.
According to organisers, some 20,000 people attended the rally on Sunday afternoon, where impassioned speeches were given by political, communal and faith leaders including Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey, and Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice.
Over a dozen national Jewish bodies, including the United Synagogue (US), the Board of Deputies, the Jewish Leadership Council (JLC) and Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA), had jointly organised the march.
It comes amid a sharp rise in antisemitic violence and hate incidents in recent weeks, particularly in London, including stabbings, arson attacks on Jewish charities, synagogues, and community ambulances.
Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis opened the rally with a strong call to action. In a rare political intervention, Mirvis called directly for the expulsion of the Iranian ambassador from the UK and the proscription of the IRGC.
“A poisonous antisemitism has become normalised in the UK,” he said. “We see it within political circles, within the media, our university campuses, in our schools. We see it in the arts, in the NHS and on our streets. It is unacceptable that antisemitic attacks are starting to become normalised.”
He added: “It is unacceptable that Iran is inspiring violence against British citizens on British soil. Why has the Iranian ambassador not been expelled? Expel him now. Ban the IRGC now.”
There were loud rounds of applause for Badenoch when she took to the stage and spoke, accompanied by chants of “Kemi, Kemi, Kemi”.
“You are not alone and Britain stands with you,” she said. “There are many people afraid to call it what it is, there are many people afraid to call it out. I am not afraid. We do need to stand against extremism, we do need to stand against Islamic extremism…I recognise this evil, I recognise this threat that wants people to feel afraid, to feel terror.
“They want you to be afraid when you step out of your house. They want you to be afraid when you go to school, when you go to work, when you go to worship. The people who want us to be afraid must never be allowed to win. So, we must fight it everywhere we can.”
She added: “To Jewish people who are worried about the country, I say to you now, Britain will always be a haven and a safe place for Jewish people.”
Representing the government, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Pat McFadden, promised “action” in tackling antisemitism. Parts of his speech were interrupted by heckling from the audience, who yelled “You’ve failed” and chants of “shame”.
A video message was played from music artist Boy George, one of the most prominent names to have recently expressed solidarity with the Jewish community following repeated attacks against it. A short video featuring members of Jewish communities across the six largest diaspora countries was also shown, expressing their solidarity with the UK.
Fiyaz Mughal, the founder of Faith Matters, Tel MAMA and Muslims Against Antisemitism, said parts of his own faith community are “part of the problem” and that Islamist extremism was “making all our lives difficult”.
He said: “I, as a British Muslim, will continue to fight and call out the cancer within. Unless this government does not have the guts to challenge it we are going to see the cancer affect all of us…If this government doesn’t stand with you 100 per cent and call out the problem of Islamist extremism then it’s time they go.”
Speeches were also given by Progressive Judaism co-leads rabbis Charley Baginsky and Josh Levy, United Synagogue president Saul Taylor, Jewish Leadership Council chair Keith Black, the Bishop of Willesden Rt Revd Lusa Nsenga-Ngoy, and Board of Deputies acting president Adrian Cohen.
