The Metropolitan Police is denying arresting a Jewish lawyer for wearing a Star of David necklace at a pro-Palestine protest.
Instead, the force said the man, aged in his 40s. was detained for breaching laws to keep protest groups apart.
The man was arrested outside the Israeli embassy in Kensington, central London, on 29 August, according to The Telegraph.
In police interview footage, a detective said to the suspect that he had worn the Star of David to cause âoffenceâ, the newspaper reported.
The man also told The Telegraph that he had been acting as an âindependent legal observerâ to monitor the event for unlawful behaviour by the protesters and to examine the actions taken by police.
The man, who was held for nearly 10 hours, said: âIt is outrageous that police should claim wearing a star of David somehow antagonises people.
âWhen it was first raised in the police interview, it rang alarm bells for me immediately.â
The man said the police crossed the line.
âThey (the police) are trying to criminalise the wearing of a Star of David.
âThey said I was antagonising and agitating pro-Palestine protesters with my Star of David.
âIn an environment of antisemitism, I will not be cowed by this.
âI will carry on wearing it.â
The Met said in a statement that the man was arrested for allegedly repeatedly breaching conditions set under the Public Order Act to keep opposing protest groups apart.
Posting on X, the force said: âWe understand the concerns raised, but the claim this man was arrested for wearing a star of David necklace is not true.
âHe was arrested for allegedly repeatedly breaching Public Order Act conditions that were in place to keep opposing protest groups apart.
âThe conditions required protesters from the pro-Israel group Stop The Hate to remain in one area with protesters from the pro-Palestinian group Ijan required to remain in a separate area.
âThe man told officers he was acting as an independent legal observer but his actions are alleged to have breached the conditions in place, and to have gone beyond observing in an independent and neutral way to provoking and, as such, actively participating as a protester.
âOver the course of an hour, the man is alleged to have continuously approached the area allocated to Ijan, getting very close to protesters to film them and provoking a reaction.
âOfficers had to intervene at least four times to ask the man to return to the Stop the Hate area as required by the conditions.
âWhen he failed to do so after multiple warnings, he was arrested.
âHe was released on bail and the investigation continues.
âThe clipped footage released, in which officers question the manâs status and actions as an independent legal observer, is six minutes of an hour-long interview.
âWe can fully appreciate why this clip in isolation causes concern and we are continuing to review and work with communities to understand the concerns they have voiced.â
