A Jewish man found himself in police custody for nearly ten hours after officers arrested him at a pro-Palestine demonstration.
The lawyer, who remains unnamed due to security concerns, was detained outside the Israeli embassy in Kensington on August 29 at 7pm and not released until 4.30am the following morning.
Police interview recordings reveal detectives questioned him about the Star of David pendant he wore on a silver chain, which could cause "offence".
The religious symbol, measuring less than an inch across, prompted a detective constable from the robbery unit to question the arrested man about his "political beliefs" and to ask: "What necklace are you wearing?"
The officer said that police had received reports that the Star of David was "antagonising" protesters, despite the demonstration being organised by the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN).
His solicitor interrupted the police questioning, expressing concern about officers "raising my client's religion and wearing a sign in relation to that".
The detective, who mistakenly called the group the "International Jewish Solidarity Network", argued they were dealing with "a very niche environment where tensions are high" rather than someone "walking about with a Star of David chain on his neck in an open forum in public generally".
The arrested man condemned his treatment, he told the Telegraph: "They are trying to criminalise the wearing of a Star of David. They said I was antagonising and agitating pro-Palestine protesters with my Star of David."
A Jewish lawyer found himself in police custody for nearly ten hours after officers arrested him at a pro-Palestine demonstration
|GETTY
Israel's foreign minister, Gideon Sa'ar, responded on Saturday: "The Star of David is a symbol of Jewish identity, not provocation."
"The fact that Jews are warned in central London not to display it publicly shows how rampant anti-Semitism spread through hateful pro-Palestinian marches in Britain has poisoned the streets."
He called the situation "a moral disgrace" and demanded British authorities "ban anti-Semitic slogans and conduct a full institutional review".
The man maintains he was serving as an independent legal observer, documenting potential unlawful behaviour at protests through his organisation, the Society of Independent Legal Observers.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Pro-Palestine demonstrators marched outside the Israeli embassy
|PA
Former Metropolitan Police sergeant Gill Levy, who witnessed the arrest, called it "shocking" and "disproportionate", adding: "It's just like our existence as Jews is now heretical."
The Metropolitan Police insist the arrest wasn't prompted by the religious symbol but claim the man "repeatedly breached" orders separating opposing groups and got "very close" to pro-Palestine demonstrators.
They alleged his behaviour went "beyond observing to provoking".
Six weeks later, the lawyer remains on police bail whilst investigations continue.
The man maintains he was serving as an independent legal observer
|GETTY
A Met Police spokesman said: "The claim that this man was arrested for wearing a Star of David necklace is not true.
"He was arrested for allegedly repeatedly breaching Public Order Act conditions that were in place to keep opposing protest groups apart.
"The conditions required protesters from the pro-Israel group, Stop the Hate, to remain in one area while protesters from the pro-Palestinian group, IJAN, were required to remain in a separate area.
"Over the course of an hour, the man is alleged to have continuously approached the area allocated to IJAN, getting very close to protesters to film them and in doing so provoking a reaction.
"Officers had to intervene on at least four occasions to ask the man to return to the Stop the Hate area.
"When he failed to do so after multiple warnings, he was arrested."
Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter
More From GB News