James Cleverly has taken aim at pro-Palestine protesters after arguing they have "nothing new to add" by marching in favour of a ceasefire.
The Home Secretary questioned what demonstrators were hoping to achieve given Rishi Sunak's Government continues to disagree with their position.
Cleverly highlighted how Sunak supports an immediate pause in fighting to allow Hamas to release hostages and for aid to enter the Gaza Strip.
There are concerns a ceasefire would not be sustainable as Hamas continues to call for the destruction of Israel.
James Cleverly has criticised pro-Palestine protesters
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Cleverly told The Times that the protests since October 7 were putting a “huge amount of pressure” on the police.
He added: “The question I ask myself is, ‘What are these protests genuinely hoping to achieve?’
“They have made a point and they made it very, very loudly and I’m not sure that these marches every couple of weeks add value to the argument. They’re not really saying anything new.”
Recent protests have resulted in major disruption to Tower Bridge and MPs being heckled outside partisan fundraising events.
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People were seen waving Palestinian flags and chantingXTensions about events in Gaza bubbled over recently as three female MPs were provided with strengthened security.
Cleverly, who replaced Suella Braverman as Home Secretary after she accused Scotland Yard of “playing favourites” when policing pro-Palestine “hate marches”, said it was vital that MPs were not “bullied” into changing their stance on the Gaza conflict.
There was chaos in the House of Commons recently after Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle broke with parliamentary precedent on last week's ceasefire vote amid concern about intimidation.
Cleverly argued: “I think it is really important that no one, no parliamentarian, feels that they should be bullied into taking a position they don’t believe is the right position.
Home Secretary James Cleverly also addressed concerns about MPs' safety and policing
PA“So I genuinely don’t know what these regular protests are seeking to achieve.
“They have made their position clear, we recognise that there are many people in the UK that hold that position.
“We respect that but the UK Government’s position is a disagreement with that for very practical, well thought-out reasons.”
Despite Cleverly's comments, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign is planning further action on the weekend over events in Gaza.
A march in support of a ceasefire is also being held in London on March 9.
