The annual Al Quds day protest has sparked a fiery row on GB News, as Climate Party leader Ed Gemmell claimed that the pro-Iran demonstrators should be allowed to march in the name of “British free speech”.
Outraged by his remarks, Reform UK mayoral candidate Laila Cunningham declared that London should “not be a platform for terrorists and ideological Islamic extremists”.
Thousands of people gathered in the capital for the Al Quds Day protest, which was banned from operating as a march by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood.
However, masses of pro-regime supporters still descended on the capital, with counter-protesters contained on the opposite side of the River Thames.
Expressing her disbelief at the Labour Government, Ms Cunningham told GB News she is “shocked” that they allowed the protest to go ahead at all.
She argued: “I think it’s an indictment on every Mayor and every Home Secretary who’s allowed it to happen, because they’ve been scared of being called Islamophobic.
“They mistook Muslims like myself who want nothing to do with that as wanting to appease us. London should not be a platform for terrorists, frankly.”
Offering his support for how the Labour Government has handled the protest, Mr Gemmell said they did the “right thing” to ban the march and instead “control” a static protest.
Laila Cunningham and Ed Gemmell clashed in a bitter row over London’s pro-Iran rally
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GB NEWS
He argued: “I think that they’ve done actually a great job so far, and I do believe they should have had the right to be out there, as controlled by the police, and has told how to do it by the Home Secretary.”
Hitting back at the Climate Party leader, Ms Cunningham responded: “Do you think we can rock up to Iran and call for the death of their leader and the death of their people? Absolutely not.
“The organisers expressed support for Khamenei, who wants to destroy us and wants to kill us. I’m sorry, London should not be a platform for ideological Islamic extremists who want to destroy us. When are we going to say enough is enough?”
Making clear that although he “does not approve” of Iran and hopes the regime “does go”, Mr Gemmell said that it is “British” for people to “be able to express opinion and have debate”.
Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of London in support of Iran’s Islamic regime | GETTY
He said: “We are Great Britain, freedom of speech is important, we have the rule of law. People should be able to express their opinion peacefully.”
“In Britain, we have values. We shouldn’t compromise them because we disagree with what’s going on somewhere else.”
The Reform candidate hit back: “The values of the people marching do not match British values. If you’re talking about values, the values of the people marching for Al Quds are polar opposite to our values.
“In fact, they want to destroy us and they want to kill us. I’m all for freedom of values, but if you want to march on my streets, in my capital and declare the death to our people and my country, then no, you will not do that.”
Ms Cunningham and Ed Gemmell came to blows over the protest
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GB NEWS
Highlighting the failure of the Labour Government to “proscribe the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps”, Ms Cunningham argued that had they proscribed it, today’s protest would have been deemed “illegal”.
Ms Cunningham told Mr Gemmell: “The proper weakness in our country is that the IRGC has not been proscribed as a terrorist organisation, despite Europe doing it, despite America doing it. We are the only cowards that are not doing it.
“Had it been proscribed as a terrorist organisation, this march would have been illegal. That makes it a fundamental mistake on behalf of our Government, who have failed to stand up for our values and our safety and our national security. And I, frankly have had enough of it.”
Agreeing partly with Ms Cunningham’s point, Mr Gemmell concluded: “My opinion may be the same as yours that it should be prescribed, but it isn’t. We are British and we stand up for values and laws.
“It is not prescribed, which means if you want it prescribed, then go go out and campaign and march for it to be prescribed. And when it’s prescribed, the police can take their actions.”