'Disgraceful' to set up stage at Cenotaph during pro-Palestine rally, says Security Minister

Security Minister Tom Tugendhat said the area on Whitehall is 'sacred ground'
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It was "disgraceful" for pro-Palestine demonstrators to set up a stage next to the Cenotaph in London, the Security Minister said on Thursday.

Protesters erected the stand in front of the war memorial during a march on Saturday, October 14.

Tom Tugendhat said the area on Whitehall is "sacred ground" and the stage should not have been put up for Palestine Solidarity Campaign speakers.

Police riot helmets were also displayed next to wreaths on its steps.

Mr Tugendhat, a former soldier, told Sky News: "It's disgraceful. To many of us the Cenotaph is sacred ground. There's a reason it matters so much to our national consciousness.

"It's not just a memory of wars past, where many of our grandparents... fought in the First and Second World Wars, but for many of us it's a very living memory to our friends we lost in Iraq and Afghanistan or indeed in other conflicts around the world.

"So frankly, the fact that there is a stage there is absolutely outrageous.

"I'm told the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign didn't even ask Westminster Council for permission to put it up and I'll be doing everything I can in making sure it's not allowed to happen again."

A group of 60 Tory MPs have said they are writing to Sadiq Khan calling for him to help ban protests in the area.

City Hall said the mayor has no jurisdiction over the area.

“The area around The Cenotaph is not under the jurisdiction of the Greater London Authority or TfL," a spokesman for the Mayor said.

“Both the Mayor and the police are clear - the right to protest is an important part of our democracy, but those who break the law and incite violence or hatred will have action taken against them.

“Changing the law and regulations around what constitutes an appropriate protest is a matter for Ministers and Parliament.”

Westminster Council confirmed that permission was not sought from them to set up the stage.

"The council did not provide permission for a stage to be built next to the Cenotaph," a spokesman said.

"Protests and marches are managed by the police. The council told protest organisers that the Metropolitan Police is the agency responsible for determining whether a structure is appropriate in a given location, and permissions lie with them."

"We do not support staging at the Cenotaph during future protests, however, that is a matter for the police." 

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: “We recognise the huge significance and sensitivity about the Cenotaph and have seen the concerns raised about the positioning of stands as part of the protests on Saturday.”

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