Britain’s largest Jewish LGBT charity has pulled out of London’s Pride parade over safety concerns about pro-Palestinian protests.
Keshet UK and the West London Synagogue have said their members fear being harassed or attacked while marching from Hyde Park to Westminster on Saturday.
A coalition of pro-Palestinian groups was planning to target organisations along the route which it believed were “complicit in the ongoing genocide” in Gaza, The Telegraph can disclose.
In messages leaked from online chat groups, protesters vowed to take “spikier” action at Pride and did not rule out potentially assaulting emergency workers and blockading roads.
It is understood that around 50 activists plan to single out staff from Barclays, Axa, Hewlett Packard, McDonald’s and other companies they say support Israel’s war in Gaza.
In a “legal briefing” to its members, the protest chat group cited a list of offences they could be accused of committing – and tactics to avoid being prosecuted.
The offences include assault of an emergency worker, public nuisance, obstructing the highway, and common assault.
Protesters were told: “If you see the police speaking to someone, start chanting and encourage them to join you, make as much noise as possible.
“Do not carry anything that can be used to identify you, eg a driving licence or bank card. Do not bring your phone. Leave it at home…”
Pride picnic
The threat of intimidating behaviour has prompted organisers of Keshet UK and Keshet Synagogue to abandon their participation in the parade and to host a “Pride picnic” instead. In previous years, as many as 200 LGBT Jews attended the march.
In an email sent jointly by Keshet UK and the Reform synagogue, organisers said: “Against the background of what has been a challenging and at times a complex year for many Jews in the UK, including LGBT+ Jews, some of our friends and congregants have said they do not feel safe marching in the Pride in London event as they have felt in previous years.”
“LGBT+ Jews need safe spaces for celebration, joy, and to feel pride in who we are. With this especially in mind, we have long valued our Jewish presence at Pride in London. We understand the importance of visibility.”
“We have listened very carefully to those concerns expressed about the event. Our primary duty is to create a safe space where we can all feel joy, pride and community.”
‘Unsafe to be openly Jewish’
One LGBT Jewish activist who wished to remain anonymous and who had planned to attend the Pride parade told The Telegraph: “After a year in which Jews have been attacked in the streets and Jewish businesses vandalised, Jews are now unsafe at major public events.
“Now Pride – but what next? For most of our lives as gay Jews, the ‘gay’ part of our identity is the one we felt most scared of revealing but in London in 2024 it is unsafe to be openly Jewish.”
Pride, in response, said it had striven to make those marching “feel as safe as possible with our extensive safety and security measures” and said it was saddened to hear Keshet UK and West London Synagogue would not be participating.
A spokesman said: “We understand that everyone must make their own risk assessments, and celebrate and commemorate Pride in the way that is right for them.
“Pride in London always aims to be a safe, welcoming community for everyone in London’s LGBTQ+ communities.
“Our diversity across so many facets, including faith, is what makes us stronger, and we continue to welcome everyone who wishes to join our events on June 29.”
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