British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has signalled that the government could move to restrict or potentially ban some pro-Palestinian marches, citing their cumulative impact on the Jewish community in Britain. His comments follow the stabbing of two Jewish men in north London and a decision to raise the national terrorism threat level to severe. Starmer said he would defend peaceful protest but described certain chants as completely unacceptable and subject to prosecution.

Starmer indicated that while he primarily supports stronger enforcement against specific chants and banners, there may be circumstances where broader restrictions are justified. He said discussions with police about managing protests had been under way for some time and were not solely a response to the recent attacks. Police leaders have called for clearer and stronger legal powers to manage demonstrations, though the head of the Metropolitan Police said a temporary blanket ban would be impractical.

Protest organisers strongly rejected the idea of a ban, arguing it would undermine free assembly and free speech. They said the vast majority of marches had been peaceful and denied any link between the demonstrations and attacks on Jewish people. The leader of the Conservative Party went further than Starmer, calling for a full ban on the marches and claiming they were being used to intimidate Jewish communities.