LONDON (Dispatches) -- A London Underground train driver was suspended after he appeared to lead passengers in a chant of “free, free Palestine” over the train’s speaker system during a weekend pro-Palestinian protest.
The incident came to light after a video posted online by a journalist captured the moment when the driver of a Central Line service initiated the chant by saying “free, free,” to which passengers responded with “Palestine,” a widely recognized slogan at pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
A driver has now been identified and suspended whilst we continue to fully investigate the incident in line with our policies and procedures
On October 10, just days after the current Mideast conflict began, UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman issued a warning to police chiefs over displays of Palestinian flags on British streets.
She suggested that waving the flag “may not be legitimate” if it is seen as a show of support for terrorism.
She provided examples of protest actions which she believes could potentially constitute public order offenses, including targeting Jewish neighborhoods, waving pro-Palestinian or pro-Hamas symbols and chanting slogans that could be interpreted as anti-Israeli.