Policing minister hits out at covering of Holocaust memorial: ‘Jewish people need to feel safe’
THE policing minister has said it’s wrong to cover up memorials – and that he wants the police to ensure Jewish people are safe.
Mr Philp admitted many Jewish people currently didn’t feel safe and that he and the Home Secretary were continuing to monitor the job Mark Rowley and the MET were doing.
Speaking to Camilla Tominey on GB News, Mr Philp responded to a story in this morning’s Mail on Sunday.
The newspaper reported that Scotland Yard was facing yet more anger from Jewish groups on Saturday after a Holocaust memorial was covered up over fears it would be vandalised by pro-Palestine activists.
Officials in Hyde Park hid Britain’s first public memorial to the six million victims of the Nazi genocide under a blue tarpaulin in a move one Holocaust survivor called ‘shameful’.
Mr Philp told GBNews: “To be clear, the blue tarpaulin wasn’t placed there by the Metropolitan Police. I think it was by the Royal Parks authorities. But I think it’s wrong to cover up memorials in that way. Because no memorial, whether it’s a war memorial or a holocaust memorial, should need to be covered up. We need to make sure that the policing operation keeps those memorials safe. In fact, we’re actually legislating as you probably know, to make it a specific criminal offence to climb on protected war memorials. And I do want to see the police ensure Jewish people are always safe.
“We are very concerned about the Jewish community telling us they feel unsafe at times in the centre of London. The Home Secretary and I, at different times, have met various Jewish community leaders as well as the police and Islamic leaders as well. So you know, we do want to see London being safe for everybody. And that means making sure people on marches behave in a reasonable way. Jewish people don’t feel safe, that is true. And that’s why I think the police need to redouble their efforts and we’ve had that conversation with the Commissioner.”
Commenting on the defection of colleague Dr Dan Poulter, he said: “We’re always sad to lose a colleague, although I haven’t seen Dan around that much recently
Meanwhile Mr Philp also addressed his Question Time performance saying he was “speaking rhetorically” when he seemingly confused Rwanda and Congo.
He said: “It was a bit, I think, misinterpreted. I was having a little bit of trouble hearing the question. And the comment I made to the gentleman in the audience, I think, was pretty clearly a rhetorical question, rather than a substantive question, as I think any fair minded listener would conclude.”