UK Police Guidance: 'Death to IDF' Chants May Not Violate Hate Speech Laws

KEY FACTS:

UK police have issued internal guidance stating that chanting "death to the IDF" does not necessarily constitute illegal hate speech, according to declassified documents obtained by Declassified UK.

The guidance reasons that being an Israeli Defence Force soldier is not a "protected characteristic" under UK law, partly because many British citizens serve in the IDF.

The documents suggest police should distinguish between targeting people based on protected characteristics (religion, ethnicity, nationality) versus criticizing military institutions or political positions.

CONTEXT:

The guidance addresses a contentious question in post-October 2023 protests across Britain: where the line falls between legitimate political speech and incitement to violence. Pro-Palestinian demonstrations have featured such chants at major UK rallies, prompting debate over police response.

Police have faced criticism from multiple directions—accused by some of insufficient action against inflammatory rhetoric, and by others of suppressing legitimate protest expression.

The declassified guidance suggests officers have been instructed to apply narrower interpretation of hate speech laws than some public figures have called for, treating military service as a chosen affiliation rather than an identity category warranting protection.

STATUS: Developing. Declassified UK reports the documents are genuine internal police guidance; full scope of their application across forces unclear.

Source: Declassified UK