Israel-Palestine war: UK Muslim group vows legal action if Palestinian flag is banned
A Muslim advisory group that liaises with the Metropolitan Police has vowed to take legal action if the Palestinian flag is banned in the country.
The London Muslim Community Forum (LMCF), which represents the English capital's 1.3 million Muslims, said it had received assurances from the Metropolitan Police that the flag would not be prohibited.
These comments come after British Home Secretary Suella Braverman asked police forces to consider the context in which Palestinian flags are waved to assess whether public order offences of harassment or incitement may have been committed.
She made the move amid protests in the UK against Israel's ongoing bombardment of Gaza, which has killed more than 1,200 Palestinians so far.
The latest conflict began when Palestinian fighters launched an assault on southern Israel on Saturday, killing at least 1,200 Israelis.
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LMCF said it had received "a number of concerns" regarding Braverman's comments.
“We were reassured by senior members of the Metropolitan Police that the Palestinian flag was not banned from being displayed," a statement put out by the group said.
“We wish to remind everyone: the Palestinian flag is not a proscribed terrorist flag under current legislation," the statement continued.
Under current UK legislation, displaying flags supporting groups like Hamas can lead to criminal convictions.
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Hamas in its entirety was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in November 2021, meaning that anyone who expresses support for the Palestinian militant group could face up to 10 years in prison.
Previously, only Hamas's military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, had been proscribed in the UK.
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