Keir Starmer called for tougher action over controversial chants at Gaza protests after the Golders Green stabbing, while stopping short of supporting a general ban on marches.
Keir Starmer has called for tougher action against protesters using controversial chants at Gaza demonstrations, saying people taking part in the marches should call out language such as “globalise the intifada”.
The prime minister made the comments on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Saturday, May 2, 2026, in the wake of the Golders Green stabbing and renewed concern about antisemitism in the UK.
Starmer said he wants tougher action against people using those phrases, but he stopped short of backing a blanket ban on the marches. His remarks followed earlier government statements linking the attack to a rise in threats facing the Jewish community.
The Home Office raised the UK national threat level to severe after the attack. The Crown Prosecution Service has also pledged robust prosecution of antisemitic hate crime amid what officials described as a troubling rise in incidents.
The issue has intensified pressure on ministers to say how police and prosecutors should respond to future protests and whether any further legal or policing changes are coming.
What happens next
Further statements from Downing Street, the Home Office or police could clarify whether the government plans any specific enforcement changes, or whether the response will remain focused on existing hate-crime and public-order powers.
Revision note
Initial automated publication.