Shocking footage shows the moment a man spits towards a group of counter-protesters supporting Israel near a pro-Palestine demonstration in London.
Police are seen speaking to an individual who then turns to the person behind the camera and spits in his direction, in full view of one of the officers.
The officer then walks the man away from the group for a few steps, pushing him as he ushers him to leave the area near the University College London (UCL) campus in Bloomsbury, central London.
The Met officer appears to take no further action against the man, instead responding to questions from the cameraman over whether he saw the incident by saying: ‘Yes, I saw it, go away.’
The exasperated policeman then appears to try to justify letting the man go, saying to the shocked person taking the video: ‘He done it on your… in front of you. Yeah, he’s not saying sorry he’s being rude.’
The police officer then turns away from the camera and walks off, with it unclear as to whether any further action was taken as the clip comes to an end.
Spitting in public is subject to a fine, and spitting at a person deliberately can constitute assault. The Metropolitan Police have been contacted for comment.
The incident took place outside UCL, where Israel-supporting demonstrators faced off with a pro-Palestine crowd.
Police lined up in front of the two groups on either side of Gower Street in an attempt to keep them apart.
UCL students, inspired by camp outs at US colleges, have pitched tents near the main campus building to show their opposition to the institution’s position on the Israel-Hamas war.
Around 100 protesters, many calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, joined them on Saturday, with chants of ‘divest from death’ and ‘free Palestine’.
Around 50 pro-Israel gathered too, The Telegraph reports, waving Union Jacks and Israeli flags and chanting: ‘Terrorist supporters off our streets. Anti-Semites off our streets.’
More than 40 police officers were on the scene, and reportedly stopped three men who were carrying signs saying ‘Hamas are terrorists’ and holding Israel flags from crossing over to the side where the pro-Palestine demonstrators were.
It comes after the Met sparked outrage last month when an officer threatened to arrest a man wearing a kippah for being ‘openly Jewish’ near a pro-Palestinian rally.
Scotland Yard had to apologise twice after a short clip emerged on social media showing Gideon Falter, chief executive of the Campaign Against Antisemitism, was blocked by an officer close to a protest in the Aldwych area on Saturday 13 April.
In the footage, which was shared online, Mr Falter was told he faced arrest if he did not leave the area because he was ‘causing a breach of peace with all these other people’ claiming his presence was ‘antagonising’.
Mr Falter maintained he was ‘going for a walk’ after attending synagogue.
The Met had issued an apology to Mr Falter for the way he was treated, describing the officer’s choice to use the phrase ‘openly Jewish’ as ‘hugely regrettable’.
However, it then issued a second apology after being accused of ‘victim blaming’ when it claimed in its previous statement that campaigners filming themselves being abused are being ‘provocative’.
A spokesperson for the Jewish Board of Deputies said at the time: ‘Since the horrific terror attacks of October 7th, almost every weekend we have seen tens of thousands of people march through the centre of London on ‘anti-Israel’ protests.
‘While many marchers may have genuine concerns regarding the terrible situation in Gaza, others have taken the opportunity to amplify hideous antisemitic conspiracy theories, while a number clearly wish for the complete destruction of the world’s only Jewish State.
‘The Metropolitan Police has made a series of high-profile errors in their responses to these demonstrations.’