Police officers from London's Metropolitan Police arrested a Jewish lawyer for openly wearing a Star of David necklace, alleging that doing so "antagonized" pro-Palestinian protesters, and that the symbol could "cause offense," British outlet The Telegraph reported on Saturday.
The lawyer claimed to the Telegraph that he was handcuffed and detained for almost 10 hours in an attempt to "criminalize the wearing of a Star of David."
He was arrested at 7 p.m. on August 29 at a pro-Palestine protest outside the Israeli embassy in London, and claims he was monitoring the event for unlawful behavior by the protesters, and to scrutinize the actions of the police officers at the scene.
The lawyer alleges that his hands were cuffed behind his back, before he was put in the back of a police vehicle, and held for questioning.
The Met denies that the arrest was due to the Star of David necklace, saying that the man was arrested after allegedly "repeatedly breaching" an order from officers to keep opposing protest groups separated, the Telegraph reported.
The lawyer claimed that he recorded up to 30 incidents of criminal behavior by the protesters, but insisted that none led to a conviction. He also claimed that he has been personally abused, including being called a "Zionist baby killer."
"Police are arguing that wearing a Star of David is antagonising to protesters while we have seen all manner of antisemitic slogans on placards and shouted at Jews that have gone unpunished," he told the Telegraph, in what he referred to as one of the clearest examples of two-tier policing.
FM Sa'ar: 'This is a moral disgrace'
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar denounced the alleged targeting of a Jewish lawyer for wearing a Star of David necklace as a "moral disgrace" in a post on X/Twitter on Saturday.
"The Star of David is a symbol of Jewish identity, not provocation. The fact that Jews are warned in central London not to display it publicly shows how rampant antisemitism spread through hateful “pro-Palestinian” marches in Britain has poisoned the streets," he added.
"British Authorities must act: ban antisemitic slogans and conduct a full institutional review," he affirmed.