Chaos in Brighton: Pro-Israel Group Claims Police Censored Their Peaceful Protest
Sussex Police Accused of Silencing Israelis
Tensions boiled over in Brighton this weekend as Sussex Friends of Israel (SFI) slammed Sussex Police for allegedly blocking their peaceful counter-demo during a pro-Palestinian march through the city centre.
SFI members, carrying Israeli flags and banners, stood well over 200 yards away from a large Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) march. They insist they stayed calm and followed every police instruction.
Police Block Protesters Citing ‘Breach of Peace’ Risk
Things took a turn when the PSC march changed its route. SFI tried to move to a new street to stay visible — but cops physically stopped them. Police claimed this was to prevent a “breach of the peace.”
“There was no breach of the peace. We were peaceful. There was distance. There was order. And yet — we were stopped,” the SFI statement blasted.
SFI also accused a high-ranking officer of dodging their complaints and refusing to provide any ID or the inspector’s warrant number.
Pro-Palestinian Protesters Make Their Point with ‘Die-In’
The pro-Palestinian rally drew around 500 people who staged a dramatic “die-in” on one of Brighton’s busiest roads. Demonstrators lay down with tiny coffins to spotlight the deadly conflict in Gaza.
Unlike the SFI protesters, PSC’s mass demonstration appeared to face no police crackdown.
Rights Row Sparks Calls for Police Neutrality
SFI charged, “This was a clear violation of our rights under Articles 10 and 11 of the Human Rights Act — to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. One side was empowered. The other was silenced.”
Sussex Police have yet to address the explosive claims.
The incident is fueling wider debates about police bias and protest management, especially as the Israel-Gaza conflict continues to spark fierce passions across the UK.
