Max Royston of Stop the Hate UK decries violent anti-Israel marches, hails pro-Israel unity rally, and warns that UK policy on Palestinian statehood emboldens terrorists.
London witnessed a weekend of starkly contrasting street politics as Stop the Hate UK leader Max Royston condemned the city’s escalating anti-Israel demonstrations and celebrated a unifying pro-Israel rally that drew Jewish communities from across the country.
Royston described two major protests on Saturday. The first, the PSC National March for Palestine, has run for nearly two years and, he said, routinely features antisemitic placards, open support for Hamas and Hezbollah, and repeated arrests. “We see 10 to 15 arrests every time,” Royston told Arutz Sheva.
In Parliament Square, he noted, 500 demonstrators openly supported Palestine Action, which is designated a terrorist organization in the UK. The group, he said, has graffitied Jewish charity offices, stolen a bust of Chaim Weizmann, and attacked an RAF base. This protest ended with 450 arrests and violence toward police.
While welcoming the police crackdown as a “victory for the rule of law,” Royston criticized earlier demonstrations for a “total lack of understanding of antisemitism” and a reluctance to arrest offenders. He warned that such protests have left 90% of British Jews avoiding central London on march days.
“The most important thing is not to show fear. We will stand up for our people, our country, and the right side of history,” he vowed.
Sunday saw a different scene: Stop the Hate UK’s second national march for hostages, sparked by newly released harrowing videos of captives enduring starvation and abuse after 673 days in Hamas captivity. The march proceeded to Downing Street to demand action.
Royston said the rally also opposed UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s plan to recognize a Palestinian state in September unless Israel meets certain conditions — conditions that do not apply to Hamas.
“He made getting the hostages back harder,” Royston argued, accusing the policy of appeasing terrorists.
Remarkably, the march united all branches of UK Jewry — from Sephardi and Ashkenazi to United Synagogue, Liberal, and Reform — in opposition to Starmer’s plan. Even some on the left who favor Palestinian statehood joined, agreeing that “until the hostages are home, there can be no Palestinian state.”
Royston’s warning was clear:
“If he doesn’t reverse his decision, we will continue to protest and highlight the appeasement of terrorists.”
