The Prime Minister has criticised pro-Palestinian protests which will coincide with Remembrance Day parades in London.
Rishi Sunak said the protests are “provocative and disrespectful” and that there are “clear and present risks” to the Cenotaph and other war memorials in the capital.
The Prime Minister said in a statement on Friday afternoon, “To plan protests on Armistice Day is provocative and disrespectful, and there is a clear and present risk that the Cenotaph and other war memorials could be desecrated, something that would be an affront to the British public and the values we stand for.
“The right to remember, in peace and dignity, those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for those freedoms must be protected.
“I have asked the Home Secretary to support the Met Police in doing everything necessary to protect the sanctity of Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday.”
This comes after the Security Minister Tom Tugendhat has written to London Mayor Sadiq Khan, the Metropolitan Police and Westminster Council strongly urging them to look at what powers they have.
The former soldier told Times Radio, “I wrote last night to the Mayor of London, Westminster Council, and to the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police because you’ll understand that for me and for fellow veterans November 11 isn’t just another day.
“It’s not just even a day of remembrance actually it’s a day of grief.
“And for many of us, it’s a day when we remember friends who aren’t standing with us anymore, some who fell at the time and some who have sadly taken their own lives since.
“And it can be a very painful moment. And I think that’s why this is not an appropriate time, this is not an appropriate venue for protest.
“It’s a time for us to come together and to remember all those who served our country with courage and distinction in many conflicts around the world and gave us the freedoms and the liberties that we’re lucky enough to enjoy today.”
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