Former Adviser to Boris Johnson, Lord Daniel Moylan, has hit out at plans for pro-Palestine demonstrations on Remembrance weekend, as tensions surrounding the cause increase.
The demonstrations have continued across the UK as a result of the Hamas attacks in Israel on October 7, where the death toll is nearing 10,000 people.
Ahead of Remembrance weekend, many have hit out at plans for the pro-Palestine demonstrations to take place alongside the ceremony in the capital.
The Metropolitan Police has been told by organisers of protests ahead of this weekend that they have "no intention of causing disruption to Remembrance events”.
Lord Daniel Moylan said 'it is absolutely not an unfettered right to protest whenever you want to'
GB News
The Metropolitan Police have said they recognise the context in the protests taking place, and that they are "sympathetic to what’s happening in Israel".
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made clear that Home Secretary Suella Braverman and the Metropolitan Police have his "absolute backing" to crack down on any protesters who attempt to disrupt Armistice events.
Speaking to GB News, Lord Moylan said that we should try to "accommodate demonstrations where we possibly can", adding "we are a free country".
Defending the efforts of the Met Police, Moylan said the strain being put on officers at the moment is "very considerable" and there are "good operational reasons" why the commissioner should say that this this can go ahead.
Britain's Newsroom presenter Bev Turner then asked: "What does it look like if we ban this, if we say you are not allowed to protest this weekend in support of Palestine?"
Lord Moylan replied: "It's perfectly OK. There's no right to protest at any time you want to, at any inconvenience to the public or to public authorities. The right to protest, even if you regard it as a human right under the Human Rights Act, is not an absolute right.
"It is one where the state has the legal right to issue conditions and controls. It can say your march has to go this way and not that way. Now normally that works out by agreement between people organising demonstrations and the police. So we don't see it happening, and it's one of the reasons.
"But it is absolutely not an unfettered right to protest whenever you want to, whenever it suits you at any inconvenience."
Bev Turner argued that we are 'living in a time of war'
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Bev agreed with Moylan, but questioned the conditions of which the demonstrators are protesting, highlighting "we're we're living in a time of war".
Lord Moylan hit back at Bev's comment, stating: "We are not living in a time of war. There is a war happening in a foreign country. Some people feel very strongly about that. They want to express their emotions.
"There is also the troubling matter that in doing so, some are acting in a way which is intimidatory to those who feel sympathy with the other side in that foreign war. And that too is a is a danger that we have to ward against because community relations, as we have called them, have have effectively our our illusion of community.
"Good community relations is starting to break down this country, and that also has been taken into account."