The following has been sent to the Home Secretary, the Rt Hon Theresa May today, 27th May 2015.
Dear Home Secretary,
We are the Co-Chairs of the North West Friends of Israel, an organisation based in Manchester, with a 3500 membership.
Our organisation was formed in the summer of 2014 following the disgraceful scenes we saw on the streets of Manchester. One of our aims is to combat anti-Semitism wherever we see it.
As you will be well aware, on 4 July 2015 neo-Nazis are organising a “protest” against what they describe as the “Jewification” of Golders Green. I am sure you will agree that the word “Jewification” itself is so abhorrent that it is not only racist but is likely to incite a breach of the peace amongst those opposing this disgraceful “protest”. This is not a “protest as such but an incitement.
The “protest” is to be held in Golders Green on the Sabbath. I understand that a number of organisations including the Board of Deputies, CST, the Jewish Leadership Council and the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism have all made representations to the Metropolitan Police and, I assume to you also.
The Manchester Jewish community has been the subject of a significant increase in the numbers of anti-Semitic attacks, reflecting the growing and worrying trend across the country.
We have been contacted by a number of our members who intend to travel to London to counter this incitement, such is the strength of their feelings.
This is a link (https://www.change.org/p/the-rt-hon-theresa-may-ban-the-planned-neo-nazi-rally-in-golders-green-london?just_created=true ) to a petition we launched containing some 10,000+ signatures. I would ask you to note that these signatures were obtained in a very short period of time – 8 days.
We urge you to ban this so called “protest” to send a signal to any would-be racists and opposers of democracy that this country stands firm with its ethnic minorities.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
R Bloom
A Dennison
Co Chairs – North West Friends of Israel www.NWFOI.org.uk