A recent demonstration in Southend has drawn sharp criticism after protesters marched through a residential area home to a small Jewish community—without first notifying local police, as typically required.
The protest route passed directly outside a synagogue and came dangerously close to several others, coinciding with the end of Sabbath prayers during Passover.
Families walking home were met with chants of “Stop killing children,” which the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) condemned as a modern echo of antisemitic blood libels. Protesters were also seen displaying symbols linked to banned terrorist groups, including Hamas—further intensifying concerns about the demonstration’s intent.
Rather than being held in Southend’s city centre, organizers deliberately chose a quieter neighborhood with a visible Jewish presence, a move the CAA says points to a calculated attempt to intimidate.
Police response was widely criticized as insufficient. Despite an assault on a CAA volunteer who was documenting the protest, officers reportedly failed to step in. The few arrests made were seen as too little, too late.
“Once again, a British Jewish community has been left to fend for itself while extremists roam freely,” said a CAA spokesperson, comparing the Southend incident to similar scenes in London since October 7th, 2023. “Authorities seem increasingly unwilling to defend Jewish citizens.”
The demonstration also reopened wounds in Southend, a town still mourning the 2021 murder of its local MP, Sir David Amess, by an Islamist extremist. For many residents, the protest struck a nerve—and raised serious questions about public safety, police accountability, and the unchecked rise of antisemitic agitation on UK streets.
