Dismore demands action on proscribed organisation flags

At today’s Mayor’s Question Time Andrew Dismore , Labour London Assembly Member  for Barnet  and Camden challenged the Mayor over the lack of action on the display of proscribed terrorist organisation’s flags on demonstrations. Video link https://vimeo.com/175557595

Mr Dismore told the Mayor:

‘I have raised the issue of the display of the flags of proscribed organisations  like Hezbollah before on  a number of occasions. The Met. say that to avoid confrontation on such marches, they don’t act there and then, but record  evidence and follow up with enforcement  later. I don’t  suppose you can say now how many such arrests and prosecutions  there have been for this over the last couple of years but I can’t recall seeing very many, but will you find out, and how many there are after this particular  event, to see if the Met are actually doing what they say?’

The Mayor accepted the point, that it was important to go behind the Met.’s assurances to see what actually was happening in practice and agreed to discuss this with the Metropolitan Police Commissioner  report back to the Assembly .

Mr Dismore also told the Mayor:

‘Lack of action against those waving the flags of proscribed organisations like Hezbollah and so called  IS   undermines the key messages of deradicalisation and zero tolerance  of hate crime , if  impressionable people  see  that they  can do this  with impunity’.

The Mayor agreed that this was the case and would also be following this up with the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime.

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