The Metropolitan Police and Greater Manchester Police have announced an immediate shift in protest policing, stating they will arrest people who chant or display the phrase “globalise the intifada”. The forces said recent terrorist attacks had altered the risk context and confirmed they will act under existing public order powers.
Operationally, both forces will brief frontline officers on a more assertive approach and will use Public Order Act powers to set conditions, including around synagogues during services. Patrols and protective security at synagogues, schools and community venues in London and Greater Manchester have been stepped up.
Today’s stance does not create a new criminal offence. Any arrest must still meet existing legal thresholds. In protest settings, police often rely on Public Order Act 1986 offences such as sections 4A and 5 (intent to cause, or likelihood of causing, harassment, alarm or distress). Prosecutors separately assess if conduct crosses into the far higher bar of “stirring up” racial or religious hatred under Parts 3 and 3A. For religious hatred, words must be threatening and there must be intent to stir up hatred.
For managing events on the ground, sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986 allow senior officers to impose conditions on processions and assemblies to prevent serious disorder, damage, disruption to the life of the community, or intimidation. Recent government proposals would require police to consider cumulative disruption when applying these tests.
The change in policing posture follows two incidents cited by forces. On 14 December 2025, a father and son attacked a Hanukkah event near Bondi Beach, Sydney, leaving 15 people dead and dozens injured; the surviving suspect has since been charged with multiple counts including murder and a terrorist act. Authorities have described the attack as inspired by Islamic State.
Earlier, on 2 October 2025, two worshippers were killed outside Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation in Manchester during Yom Kippur; the attacker was shot dead by police. Counter Terrorism Policing continues to appeal for witnesses as investigations progress.
The government has already commissioned an independent review of public order and hate crime legislation, led by Lord Macdonald of River Glaven KC, to examine whether current offences and thresholds are clear, enforceable and compatible with free speech and lawful protest. Terms of reference were published this month, with a final report due by February 2026.
Security funding has also been increased. Following the Manchester attack, ministers provided an emergency £10m top‑up to the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant, taking the 2025/26 allocation for the Community Security Trust to £28m. Downing Street previously announced record levels of support for safeguarding Jewish sites.
Reactions diverged. The Board of Deputies said it “strongly” welcomed a tougher response to chants such as “globalise the intifada”. The Palestine Solidarity Campaign described the move as political repression and said there had been no consultation with protest organisers or representative groups before the announcement.
For policy and practice, the implications are immediate. Protest organisers in London and Greater Manchester should expect pre‑event conditions under sections 12 and 14, tighter routes and exclusion zones around synagogues during services, and a lower tolerance for targeted language that may meet the threshold for harassment or intimidation. Charging decisions will remain case‑specific and subject to CPS guidance, but the policing trigger point for intervention has clearly moved.
Contextual data underline why security has been prioritised: CST recorded 1,521 antisemitic incidents in the UK in January–June 2025, the second‑highest half‑year on record, concentrated in London and Greater Manchester. Police and prosecutors will continue to balance Articles 10 and 11 ECHR rights with the prevention of disorder and hate crime.