Massive backlash after London Police officer says 'swastika anti-semitic depending on context'. Watch video

The London Metropolitan Police is facing severe criticism after one of its officers told a Jewish woman that a swastika is only antisemitic depending on the "context" it is used, reports 'New York Post'. The police also came under scathing attack for allowing a Pro-Palestine protest carrying a placard with a swastika sign on it. In a video posted on social media platform X, a police officer can be seen telling a woman that swastikas need "to be taken into context" and may not necessarily be antisemitic. It happened when a pro-Palestine protest took place in London.

Video triggers backlash

The video has triggered backlash and massive protests on social media platforms. A spokesperson for the Campaign Against Antisemitism called the exchange "absolutely gobsmacking". Talking to the 'Daily Mail', he said that the very notion that a British police officer could imagine a context in which the Nazi swastika is an acceptable image to be displayed in public is distressing.

The spokesperson also asked if Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley agrees that the swastika is context-dependant, “let him tell that to the hundreds of thousands of Britons who gave their lives to prevent that despicable symbol from ever being flown on the streets of London.”


Even Susan Hall, the conservative candidate in London’s upcoming mayoral election criticized the police department and said antisemitism is unacceptable in any context, and the police need to be far more robust in rooting this out at protests.

Metropolitan Police defends officer

On the other hand, the Metropolitan Police has defended the officer’s actions and said the officer in the video will not be disciplined. It said in a statement that the three-minute clip “is a short excerpt of what was a 10-minute conversation.”

FAQs:

What the controversy is all about?
In a video posted on social media platform X, a police officer can be seen telling a woman that swastikas need "to be taken into context" and may not necessarily be antisemitic. It created a massive backlash.

What the Metropolitan London Police has said about the controversy?
The Metropolitan Police has defended the officer's actions and said the officer in the video will not be disciplined. It said in a statement that the three-minute clip “is a short excerpt of what was a 10-minute conversation.”