Seeking sanctuary
In her letter of 11 April, Rachel Bennett expresses alarm that many people saw the police raid at the Westminster Meeting House as an attack on the Meeting House rather than on the group hiring the room. While I would point out that officers did attack the Meeting House (the broken door), it’s not good enough to apparently excuse police raiding such a premises because it isn’t more sacrosanct than elsewhere. My home isn’t more sacrosanct than anywhere either, but if officers burst into it under these repressive Acts my good spirit would nevertheless be shattered.
My Meeting house is very much my spiritual home, of course it is, regardless of where else I see the divine presence, and I would feel spiritually and religiously violated if it was also loutishly invaded by the police, for whatever reason.
Andrew Sterling
More demand
I would like to respond to last week’s comments on my letter of the previous week (Final Demand?, 11 April). In January 2025, Youth Demand defied a police order intended to protect Jewish worshippers at Central Synagogue in London on Shabbat. The Metropolitan Police imposed restrictions under the Public Order Act to prevent pro-Palestinian protests near the synagogue, citing the risk of intimidation and disruption. Despite this, Youth Demand supporters staged a demonstration outside BBC headquarters, near the synagogue, and were arrested for violating the restriction.
While the group claimed their protest targeted the BBC’s Gaza coverage and framed it as a civil liberties issue, their decision to defy a restriction protecting Jewish worshippers demonstrated a disregard for Jewish community safety and dignity. Their protest occurred at a time and place where it could be seen by synagogue attendees, many of whom felt threatened.
Youth Demand’s actions contributed to an atmosphere of fear, particularly amidst rising antisemitism. Their choice of location and timing – close to a Jewish place of worship on a holy day – was at best reckless and insensitive. Choosing to go ahead amounted to conduct many rightly see as antisemitic in effect, if not openly in intent.
Identifying antisemitism among Palestine Solidarity Campaign marchers does not mean I oppose Palestinian rights. I am a member of Progressive Jews for Justice in Israel/Palestine, and I support The Parents Circle – Families Forum, Road to Recovery and Combatants for Peace initiatives. I’m not just a protester.
Ol Rappaport
