Online hate speech linked to Gaza war will radicalise more terrorists
Matt Jukes, the Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner, says calls to anti-terrorism hotlines have doubled since the start of the conflict – James Manning/PA Hate speech[1] related to the conflict in Israel will lead to the radicalisation of terrorists in the UK, a counter-terror chief has warned. Matt Jukes, assistant commissioner at the Metropolitan Police, said there was a “real risk” that the war could “energise” individuals to carry out an attack on British soil[2].
Mr Jukes said that London was facing the “biggest convergence of threats we have seen for a very long time” with counter-terror arrests currently at “unprecedented levels”. He told the Commons Home Affairs Committee that calls to anti-terrorism hotlines had doubled since the start of the conflict and there had been a 12 fold increase in referrals regarding online extremism. The Met’s head of national counter-terror policing warned that an attack in the UK[3], similar to the one seen in Paris[4] last month, was becoming more likely as the amount of hate speech online increased.
People ‘galvanised’ by hate material
He added: “We have got the immediate effect of people being energised or galvanised by the amount of hateful material that is being circulated.
“There is a real risk as we saw in Paris recently of an individual being energised by these events. “The FBI director last week talked about red lights blinking everywhere[5]. I think that’s part of what we’re beginning to see – that increase in calls from the public, that increase in online traffic, and increasingly young people involved.”
Also appearing before the committee on Tuesday was assistant commissioner Matt Twist, who spoke about the impact policing mass pro-Palestinian protests[6] in the capital was having on the force. He said that in the nine weeks since the massacre by Hamas terrorists on Oct 7, 28,000 officer shifts had been spent dealing with protests. He said that public order officers had 5,500 rest days cancelled in that period, and there were currently 800 open hate crime investigations related to posts online and the marches themselves.
He estimated the total cost to the force so far was around GBP17 million. Story continues
Hate crime offences at protests
Mr Twist said that while the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, the main organiser of the protests in London, had been good at informing police of their plans, he hoped they would do more at future events to “call out unacceptable and illegal behaviours”[7]. He added: “I do think there’s a real dissonance because on the one hand, I’m very clear in saying that the overwhelming vast majority of people on these marches are there to do so lawfully and peacefully.
“That has been plainly the case. However, on every occasion so far, we have found offences of hate crime, supporting proscribed organisations and people looking to intimidate. “These are very small numbers, but they exist nonetheless.”
On Saturday, at a march in London, activists were seen holding placards making comparisons between the Gaza conflict and the Holocaust. At one point during the march, a breakaway group of about 30 protesters was cut off by police on horseback as it targeted Canada House, the High Commission of Canada, just west of Trafalgar Square. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just £9 with our US-exclusive offer.[8]
References
- ^ Hate speech (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ out an attack on British soil (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ an attack in the UK (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ one seen in Paris (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ red lights blinking everywhere (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ policing mass pro-Palestinian protests (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ “call out unacceptable and illegal behaviours” (www.telegraph.co.uk)
- ^ Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism.
Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just £9 with our US-exclusive offer.
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