Met Police risks sparking 'two-tier policing' outrage after businesses targeted with antisemitic graffiti

Graffiti in London/Sir Mark Rowley

Businesses across the capital have been targeted by the LCCW, the Tories say

PA/INSTAGRAM
James Saunders

By James Saunders


Published: 04/10/2024

- 07:46

Updated: 04/10/2024

- 10:19

The force risks the condemnation of the British public if the chaos continues

London's Metropolitan Police could risk "two-tier policing" accusations over not cracking down on apparent antisemitic graffiti, MPs have warned.

A total of 10 Conservative MPs have written to the force's commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, telling him that unless the Met gets to grips with a spate of alleged criminal damage on buildings across the capital, it risks the condemnation of the British public.


Their letter comes as Tory pressure group the Conservative Way Forward (CWF) moves to publish a report into protest group, the London Creatives Corporate Watchdog (LCCW).

Said report, set to be published next week, will claim that an attack on one of London's oldest cinemas, the Phoenix in East Finchley, is one of dozens of attacks by the LCCW.

Met Police chief Sir Mark Rowley

The 10 Tory MPs have written to Sir Mark Rowley

PA
Graffiti on Phoenix Cinema

The Phoenix Cinema was daubed with graffiti which read "say no to art washing"

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The CWF has pointed to how premises with links - or even alleged links - to Israel, or owned by Israelis, have been vandalised and daubed with graffiti.

It's set to detail examples of LCCW allegedly targeting London businesses including The North Face, PureGym, Gail's and Champion over their role in a so-called "genocide in Gaza".

While In their letter, the MPs - including ex-Tory chairman Richard Holden, former shadow foreign secretary Andrew Mitchell, Bob Blackman and Sir John Hayes - cite the report which they say "documents and evidences LCCW's systemic criminality, which it has broadcast to its thousands of followers on its social media channel".

The 10 have warned Rowley that failure to deal with these crimes in a similar manner to the summer's unrest will mean the British public "rightly conclude that there is a system of two-tiered policing and justice in this country, in which some groups are treated more harshly than others".

MORE FROM CRIME-ADDLED LONDON:

Champion and Barclays storefronts graffitied

The CWF has pointed to how premises with links - or even alleged links - to Israel, or owned by Israelis, have been vandalised and daubed with graffiti

INSTAGRAM

In the letter, the Tory MPs say the group's alleged criminal damage promotes "offensive conspiracy theories previously condemned by the equality and human rights commissioner, including the notion that senior politicians are controlled by the so-called 'Israeli lobby'".

They said LCCW had carried out the acts with "no regard either to the consequences of the criminal acts of vandalism it carries out, nor to the climate of fear it creates for staff members who turn up for a shift to see hateful messages spray-painted on their places of work".

They also pointed to how "the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 makes it perfectly clear that these acts are crimes" and added: "Criminal damage that is racially or religiously aggravated carries a maximum sentence of 14 years' imprisonment.

"We would therefore hope that the crimes set out in this report are met with a similar response.

More shop fronts graffitied

Businesses across the capital have been vandalised in the wake of October 7

INSTAGRAM

"We would be grateful to know what action is being taken to identify the perpetrators of these crimes, whether any arrests have been made, and what further steps the Metropolitan Police Service is taking to clamp down on the targeting of businesses and individual politicians by antisemitic campaign groups engaged in vandalism.

"The summer riots clearly showed that the police are capable of enforcing the law when they have the will to do so.

"We hope that the Met is able to tackle these crimes with similar stridency."

GB News has approached the Metropolitan Police for comment.

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