A London Underground driver sparked outrage today by urging passengers to chant pro-Palestinian slogans as they headed to a protest in solidarity with Palestinian citizens.
Video circulating online appears to show the Central Line driver leading the chant of “Free, Free Palestine” to the hundreds of people packed into a crowded train.
It comes as the Met Police said around 100,000 people took to the streets of London to demonstrate peacefully at around 2pm on Saturday.
Others on board the train told MailOnline that the driver told his passengers he wanted to join the protest but had not been able to get a day off, before encouraging them to sing: ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free. ‘
The chant is a controversial form of protest that some say is inherently anti-Israeli and anti-Semitic – something Palestinians and their supporters deny.
The Met Police this week issued updated guidance around the chant due to the strong feelings it evokes, saying officers will not treat it as unlawful unless it is specifically used to intimidate members of the Jewish community.
Protesters during a pro-Palestinian march organized by Stop the War Coalition and Palestine Solidarity Campaign in central London
Thousands took to the streets of London on Saturday to take part in peaceful protests in solidarity with the Palestinian people
A statement of power read: ‘A specific chant that has been the subject of extensive discussion is: ‘Palestine will be free, from the river to the sea.’
‘This is a chant that has been heard frequently at pro-Palestinian demonstrations for years. We are well aware of the power of feeling in relation to it.
“While we can imagine scenarios in which singing these words might be unlawful, such as outside a synagogue or Jewish school, or directly against a Jewish person or group intended to intimidate, it is likely that their use in a broader protest environment, as we expect this weekend, would not be a violation and would not lead to arrests.”
As hundreds of protesters boarded the Central Line tube train at Bond Street just after midday for the short journey to Marble Arch, those on board told MailOnline that the driver announced: ‘Sorry, I can’t join your protest today, I couldn’t get the call’ day off from work. But you have my full support. Join us in singing ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.’
Among the passengers was Wendy Henry, who said: ‘I couldn’t believe what I heard. The driver wanted to stir up anti-Israel feelings, and the atmosphere turned very ugly very quickly.
‘The noise in the carriages of the pro-Palestinian demonstrators was deafening and aggressive. The driver should have been concerned about the safety of all passengers, but he started encouraging intimidating and hostile slogans.
You could see people on the subway joining in with the train driver’s chants
Video circulating online appears to show Central Line driver leading a chant of “Free, Free Palestine” to the hundreds of people packed tightly into a crowded train
“Transport for London should launch an immediate investigation into its actions. His whole intention was to stir up the mafia feeling. Although I felt very angry, I wasn’t that surprised that this happened in Sadiq Khan’s London.
She continued: ‘I’ve lived and worked in London for over 40 years and it’s fair to say I’ve never felt so vulnerable and isolated.’
But many of the people on board disagreed, and video footage showed the driver being cheered and cheered by passengers who appeared to be in good spirits.
Pro-Palestinian protesters in central London also chanted ‘from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’, despite ongoing controversy surrounding the meaning of the slogan.
Interior Minister Suella Braverman has previously branded the slogan as anti-Semitic, claiming it is “widely understood” to call for the destruction of Israel.
While Jewish groups including the Council of Representatives, the Jewish Leadership Council and the Community Security Trust have asked prosecutors to clarify whether chanting the slogan is a criminal offence.
However, those defending the slogan describe it as a “long-standing protest song” calling for a homeland for the Palestinian people.
The video also divided opinion online, with many social media users praising the driver as ‘amazing’ and a ‘legend’.
However, others called for the driver to be fired, with one viewer writing: ‘This is a shame’.
Transport for London has been contacted for comment.
