Initial story about ‘openly Jewish’ incident not full picture, says ex-senior Met officer

Gideon Falter, the antisemitism campaigner involved, said Dal Babu’s comments had ‘gone far beyond victim-blaming’

An initial account of an exchange between a police officer and an antisemitism campaigner that sparked heavy criticism of Scotland Yard did not show the full picture, a former senior officer has said.

Footage released by the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) last Friday showed its chief executive, Gideon Falter, being told by a police officer that his “openly Jewish” appearance risked antagonising pro-Palestinian marchers. This precipitated claims Falter was prevented from going about his business simply because he was a Jewish man in the vicinity of a pro-Palestinian demonstration.