Transport Secretary Mark Harper brands ‘free Palestine’ chants on Tube as ‘disturbing’
Transport Secretary Mark Harper has described a video of a Tube driver leading “free Palestine” chants on the London Underground as “disturbing”.
“I saw that clip and on the face of it it was disturbing, but I know the British Transport Police and Transport for London are investigating that,” Harper told Sky News on Monday morning.
“Because they are investigating that it wouldn’t be right for me to comment on an ongoing police investigation, but they took that very seriously and I thank them at the weekend for their vigilance on that matter.
“I want to make sure people across the country are secure and those sorts of things will have been very concerning, particularly to people in the Jewish community.”
On Saturday, the driver of the Central line service said “free, free” to which the passengers responded “Palestine” — a popular chant at pro-Palestinian protests.
Tory London minister Paul Scully said: “At a time when there’s not enough emphasis on the difference between the horrific terrorist attacks by Hamas and the legitimate concerns of Palestinians in Gaza, it’s really important that Londoners don’t stoke the tension in our capital where Jews live peacefully alongside Muslims.
“Informed protest can bring change. But on-trend bandwagons can cause rifts and fear in communities, increasing the threat to the safety of some passengers travelling among those crowds.”
Thousands join a pro-Palestinian march in London over the weekend, with some chants of “jihad” provoking outrage from some ministers.
Harper told Times Radio: “I saw those clips of that chanting at the weekend. I along with many people would have been disturbed by it.”
“The Home Secretary will make it clear that the Government thinks the full force of the law should be used.
“The police are operationally independent, which I think is appropriate, and they will have to explain the reasons for the decisions they have taken.”
On October 7, Hamas invaded southern Israel, killing more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and taking some 200 captive into Gaza.