Michael Gove warns pro-Palestine marches risk ‘lending credence’ to extremist groups

Pro-Palestinian marchers risk ‘lending credence’ to extremist groups, Michael Gove has warned.

The Communities Secretary said demonstrators against the Hamas-Israel war should have ‘no excuse for ignorance’ over some organisers’ motives.

He also condemned the ‘from the river to the sea’ slogan used by pro-Palestinian marchers, arguing it ‘explicitly’ calls for an end of Israel as a Jewish state.

Mr Gove said some events are ‘organised by extremist organisations’, adding: ‘That doesn’t mean that people who have gone on them are extremist, quite the opposite.

‘But it means that you can begin to question: do you really want to be lending credence to this organisation? If you do, fair enough. But now there is no excuse for ignorance.’

Singer Charlotte Church (centre) joined protesters at the front of a central London march organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign on Saturday

Protestors at the march demanding a cease-fire in Gaza in London on Saturday 

On Saturday, singer Charlotte Church joined protesters at the front of a central London march organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, where she spoke against ‘capitalist interests’.

And yesterday actress Dame Maureen Lipman and TV presenter Vanessa Feltz joined Jewish supporters outside St John’s Wood Synagogue in north London, showing solidarity with the more than 100 hostages held in Gaza. 

Dame Maureen said: ‘Since October 7 I’m a hostage like every other Jew in the world.’

Mr Gove is to produce a new official definition of extremism which will ‘help’ protesters decide whether to attend pro-Palestinian events. A government source said the plan will be unveiled ‘shortly’.

Mr Gove told The Sunday Telegraph: ‘It’s only extremism if you translate that into a political ideology that is anti-democratic.’

It comes as Home Secretary James Cleverly today announces £117million of funding to protect mosques, Muslim faith schools and other community centres.