Police Warn Protesters About Jihad Chants but Say Arrests Depend on ‘Context’

Met Gold Commander Ade Adelekan says protesters who use the phrase ‘jihad’ are putting themselves at the risk of arrest and prosecution.

Police officers and protesters in Parliament Square during the 'March For Palestine' in London on Oct. 28, 2023 Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images

The Metropolitan Police has warned people protesting against Israel’s military actions in Gaza they are liable to arrest and prosecution if they use the phrase “jihad.”

But Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan, who will be the Met’s gold commander this weekend, said their response to the word jihad was always “contextual.”