UK police deny claims that Jews told to stay home during Palestine marches

London's Metropolitan Police have denied claims made over social media that they've told Jewish residents to stay home over pro-Palestine marches.

On Tuesday the Met's official X account dismissed claims by an account named 'GB Politics' which posted on Saturday that "Police request British Jews to stay at home as Pro-Palestine marches near Synagogues."

"This claim is totally false," the Met said, adding, "It's misinformation that will only increase fear and concern in Jewish communities."

"The account may look like it's part of a well-known news channel but it isn't. Please check the authenticity of accounts before sharing unverified or unsourced claims."

GB Politics' post garnered traction on X, including getting reposts from Darren Grimes, a prominent right-wing activist and former GB News presenter, who said it was "a national disgrace”.

According to My London, former Conservative London Mayoral candidate Susan Hall wrote: "How about we stop the marches if Jews are not safe on our streets – outrageous!"

US Senator Ted Cruz also reposted the claim to his 6.9 million followers saying it was "utterly tragic. When great nations lose their way….".

Following the Met intervention the original tweet by GB Politics was taken down, although reports by Cruz and Grimes were still up at the time of writing.

On X, GB Politics is self-described as 'The True Home of UK Political News'. According to Danny Morris, OSINT and Tech Policy Manager at CST, the account was founded by a teenager outside of Mansfield, although it is not known whether the same person continues to run the account.

Alongside the misinformation in the post, My London noted that planned pro-Palestine protests on 16 April and 26 April will not march near a synagogue.

Ever since right-wing billionaire Elon Musk purchased Twitter in 2022, later renaming it X, the site has been accused of amplifying misinformation, including in the summer of 2024 when the site was used to spread false rumours that a Muslim carried out a deadly stabbing in Southport, fuelling far-right riots across the UK.