Met chief suggests law needs tightening after lack of action on 'Jihad' chant video

ITV News Political Correspondent Carl Dinnen reports on the controversial video

The chief of the Metropolitan Police has suggested the law may need tightening after his force decided a video of a man chanting "Jihad" at a pro-Palestine protest on Saturday did not show any offence being committed.

Sir Mark Rowley, following a meeting with the home secretary in which he was told officers must "use the full force of the law" at protests, said recent events may have shown the need for new legislation.

"The law that we've designed around hate crime and terrorism over recent decades hasn't taken full account of the ability of extremist groups to steer around those laws and propagate some pretty toxic messages through social media and those lines probably need redrawing."

Suella Braverman held a meeting with the Met commissioner after around 100,000 people attended pro-Palestine demonstrations in the capital, where dozens of people were arrested - but critics said the police should have done more.

What happened in the video and what did the Met Police say?

A controversial video posted on social media showed a man chanting "Jihad" after the main speaker at a Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain protest asked: "What is the solution to liberate people from the concentration camp called Palestine?”

The Met responded to the post on social media, saying the word “Jihad” has “a number of meanings”, and that specialist counter-terrorism officers had not identified any offences arising from the specific clip filmed in central London.

Officers spoke to the man to "discourage any repeat of similar chanting", the Met said.

Sir Mark, following his meeting with the home secretary, said: "We are absolutely ruthless in tackling anybody who puts their foot over the legal line. We're accountable for the law. We can't enforce taste or decency, but we can enforce the law."

He added: "The conversation finished really around the line of the law. It's our job to enforce to that line. It's Parliament's job to draw that line. And the thought that maybe events at the moment ... maybe some of the lines aren't quite in the right place."

A Home Office statement following the meeting said Ms Braverman "recognised the complexities of the law in policing aspects of these protests".

It added: "The home secretary and all of government supports the police as they continue to enforce the law against anyone suspected of committing an offence, and will ensure the police have everything they need to maintain law and order."

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: "Calls for jihad on our streets are not only a threat to the Jewish community but to our democratic values and we expect the police to take all necessary action to tackle extremism head on."

Watch the controversial video here and see the Met chief's explanation, as Shehab Khan reports:

Will police get more powers?

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer appeared to agree with Sir Mark on the potential need for more legislation, saying there were "gaps in the law", however Downing Street has said police are not likely to be given new powers.

He said: "There’s been a huge increase in hate crime in the last couple of weeks, tragically. We’ve all got a duty to clamp down on hate crime whatever political party we’re in.

“Obviously, the police are independent operationally, so these are decisions for them.

“I think there have already been identified some gaps in the law in a previous review under this government and I think the government needs to look at whether there are gaps in the law that need to be addressed as well.”

But the prime minister's spokesman said police already have "extensive powers" to deal with behaviour which incites violence.

"The government is working so closely with the police and other groups to ensure there is clarity for those officers on the ground where they believe the law has been broken.

"We will continue to discuss with the police about what more can be done but they do have a number of powers available to them.

"We do believe the police have extensive powers in this space and we will continue to discuss with them so there is clarity and agreement about how they can be deployed on the ground."

Jewish safety organisation the Community Security Trust criticised the Met, saying that "in trying to communicate complex and nuanced legal issues" on social media "they gave the impression of legitimising obnoxious and hateful behaviour that may or may not be criminal but nevertheless causes profound concern to British Jews and many other people".

Why did police decide chanting 'Jihad' was not an offence?

Other clips posted on social media from the same protest show speakers using the microphone to speak about a “solution” of “Jihad”.

Home Office minister Robert Jenrick said chanting the word on the streets of the capital is "inciting terrorist violence".

But the Met said that specialist Crown Prosecution Service lawyers had agreed no offence could be identified in the footage.

The word can mean struggle or effort, but it has also been taken to refer to holy war.

"The word has a number of meanings but we know the public will most commonly associate it with terrorism," the force said in a statement.

"However, recognising the way language like this will be interpreted by the public and the divisive impact it will have, officers identified the man involved and spoke to him to discourage any repeat of similar chanting."

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: "The vast majority of yesterday's protests were peaceful, but I'm aware of some disturbing and offensive comments.

"London has a zero tolerance approach to hate crime. If anyone has broken the law, strong action will be taken against them."