London Police have moved a neo-Nazi march scheduled for this coming Sabbath, July 4, out of the Jewish neighborhood of Golders Green.
The upcoming demonstration was to culminate in a rally at which participants would burn an Israeli flag and a Jewish holy book – a Talmud – while denouncing the “Jewification” of the area.
Instead, the rally is now to be held at Richmond Terrace, Whitehall and will be restricted to a one-hour, static assembly. Then it will be moved on, according to Mike Penning, the Home Office minister responsible for policing and crime.
Under British law, a march may be banned, although a rally – which is static — cannot. Nevertheless, the law provides for other remedies in the restriction of rallies, such as duration, location and size of participation.
The organizer of the rally, self-described fascist Joshua Bonehill, 22, appeared in Westminster Magistrates Court on Monday to respond to charges of inciting racial hatred. After tweeting endorsement of the upcoming march, Bonehill was detained and will remain incarcerated until his next court appearance, officials said.
Close to 60 members of Parliament had signed an early day motion condemning the upcoming rally and urging its venue be relocated away from Golders Green.
Residents of the area and their supporters acknowledged the reprieve as early as Tuesday. Golders Green Together, set up by the London Jewish Forum and Hope Not Hate, celebrated after the Metropolitan Police officially decided to move the neo-Nazi protest from Golders Green, The Jewish Chronicle reported.
By Thursday night, the group which had started as a cross-communal initiative to combat the neo-Nazi rally in Golders Green reached more than 285,000 people with its “thunderclap” post — a simultaneously broadcast by supporters of a message of anti-racism across social media. The post was sent out at 5 pm on Thursday on behalf of more than 390 people who signed up to send it out through their Twitter, Facebook or Instagram accounts.
The message, which continued to be shared by followers of the supporters, read: “I’m supporting #GoldersGreenTogether because I’m saying no to #antisemitism and yes to #unity on 4th July”.
On Friday morning, the group is set to host its final event, with volunteers decorating Golders Green with gold and green ribbons. Jemma Levene, head of fundraising at Hope Not Hate, said it would be “a celebration of community spirit and the way we came together in unity.”