Former Home Secretary Priti Patel has called for security agencies to investigate individuals carrying Iranian flags and propaganda at pro-Palestine demonstrations, warning they could pose a threat to national security.
Speaking on GB News’s Camilla Tominey Show, Patel said: “It is right that the agencies look at everyone that are involved in these, not just protests, but those that are carrying the Iranian placards, the propaganda, basically defending the actions of Iran to ensure that they’re not on any watch list or a threat to our country.”
She cited recent security incidents including events at RAF Brize Norton and Cyprus military bases, as well as arrests of what she termed “Iranian proxies” eight weeks ago who would face prosecution under terrorism legislation.
Patel emphasised the severity of Iran’s threat to Britain, stating: “We should be under no illusions whatsoever about the threat of Iran to us all. Yes, to Israel, Iran’s stated objective is to obliterate the only Jewish state in the world. It’s a country that yells out ‘death to America’, and has done so for many, many years.”
Priti Patel hit out at protesters holding aloft Iranian flags
GB NEWS / PA
The former Home Secretary revealed she had reviewed numerous files on Iran during her tenure, describing the implications for UK security as serious and significant.
She added: “Also, as we saw not just yesterday, but Friday, even eight weeks ago, we see Iranian proxies operating in our own country. They’re a threat to our own national security.”
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Recent pro-Palestine demonstrations in London have seen protesters displaying Iranian flags alongside Palestinian ones, with tens of thousands marching through the capital on Saturday.
Demonstrators waved both Palestinian and Iranian flags whilst carrying signs reading “Stop arming Israel” and “No war on Iran” as they marched from Russell Square to Whitehall.
Priti Patel joined Camilla Tominey on GB News
GB NEWS
Protesters chanted “Stop bombing Iran, stop bombing Gaza” and “Free Palestine”, with placards including “Hands off Iran” visible throughout the march.
The demonstrations occurred amid heightened tensions following Israeli strikes on Iran, with protesters expressing concerns about potential regional escalation.
A 31-year-old Iranian student attending the march told AFP: “I’m worried about my country. I know the regime is not good but it’s still my country. I’m scared.”
Patel revealed she had initiated investigations into Palestine Action whilst serving as Home Secretary, stating: “I was the one that started the investigations into them. They were breaking into Israeli defence companies in our own country, they were participating in criminal activity on the streets of our country and on private property and premises.”
The group recently broke into RAF Brize Norton on Friday, damaging two aircraft with red paint sprayed into turbine engines and crowbars, prompting condemnation from Prime Minister Keir Starmer who called the act “disgraceful”.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is reportedly planning to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation, with a ministerial statement expected on Monday.
Patel supported potential proscription, adding the group “should be subject to compensation orders for the damages that they have done.”