Read Rishi Sunak’s Friday night speech on extremism in full

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Rishi Sunak issued a warning about extremism on Friday night in a speech described as “a sobering warning of the fragility of democracy”.

The PM mentioned his Government will give officers its backing once they “take action” at pro-Palestinian demonstrations.

He made the feedback throughout a rapidly organized tackle outdoors No 10 Downing Street on Friday in which he railed in opposition to extremism and Islamism.

He mentioned the UK’s streets had been “hijacked” by individuals “hostile” to British values throughout protests in help of a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas battle, which has raged for nearly 5 months.

Read his speech in full beneath:

“In recent weeks and months, we have seen a shocking increase in extremist disruption and criminality. What started as protests on our streets, has descended into intimidation, threats, and planned acts of violence.

“Jewish children fearful to wear their school uniform lest it reveal their identity. Muslim women abused in the street for the actions of a terrorist group they have no connection with.

“Now our democracy itself is a target. Council meetings and local events have been stormed. MPs do not feel safe in their homes. Long standing Parliamentary conventions have been upended because of safety concerns. And it is beyond alarming that last night the Rochdale by election returned a candidate… …who dismisses the horror of what happened on October 7th, who glorifies Hezbollah… …and is endorsed by Nick Griffin, the racist former leader of the BNP.

“I need to speak to you all this evening because this situation has gone on long enough… …and demands a response not just from government, but from all of us. Britain is a patriotic, liberal, democratic society with a proud past and a bright future. We are a reasonable country and a decent people.

“Our story is one of progress, of great achievements and enduring values. Immigrants who have come here have integrated and contributed. They have helped write the latest chapter in our island story. They have done this without being required to give up their identity. You can be a practising Hindu and a proud Briton as I am. Or a devout Muslim and a patriotic citizen as so many are. Or a committed Jewish person and the heart of your local community… …and all underpinned by the tolerance of our established, Christian church. We are a country where we love our neighbours.

“And we are building Britain together. But I fear that our great achievement… …in building the world’s most successful multi-ethnic, multi faith democracy… …is being deliberately undermined. There are forces here at home trying to tear us apart. Since October 7th there have been those trying to take advantage of the very human angst that we all feel… …about the terrible suffering that war brings to the innocent, to women and children… …to advance a divisive, hateful ideological agenda. On too many occasions recently, our streets have been hijacked by small groups… …who are hostile to our values and have no respect for our democratic traditions. Membership of our society is contingent on some simple things… …that you abide by the rule of law, and that change can only come through the peaceful, democratic process. Threats of violence and intimidation are alien to our way of doing things: they must be resisted at all times.

“Nearly everyone in Britain supports these basic values but there are small and vocal hostile groups who do not. Islamist extremists and the far right feed off and embolden each other. They are equally desperate to pretend that their violence is somehow justified… …when actually these groups are two sides of the same extremist coin. Neither group accept that change in our country can only come through the peaceful democratic process. Both loathe the pluralist, modern country we are. Both want to set Briton against Briton… …to weaponise the evils of anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim hatred for their own ends.

“The faith of Islam, peacefully practised by millions of our fellow citizens… …is emphatically not the same thing as the extremist political ideology of Islamism… …which aims to separate Muslims from the rest of society. Islamist extremists and far rights groups are spreading a poison, that poison is extremism. It aims to drain us of our confidence in ourselves as a people, and in our shared future.

“They want us to doubt ourselves, to doubt each other, to doubt our country’s history and achievements. They want us to accept a moral equivalence between Britain and some of the most despicable regimes in the world. They want us to believe that our country, and the West more generally, is solely responsible for the world’s ills… …and that we, along with our allies, are the problem. In short, they want to destroy our confidence and hope. We must not allow that to happen.

“When these groups claim that Britain is and has been on the wrong side of history, we should reject it, and reject it again. No country is perfect, but I am enormously proud of the good that our country has done. Our place in history is defined by the sacrifices our people have made, …in the service of our own freedom and that of others. And when these groups tell children that they cannot – and will not succeed – because of who they are… When they tell children that the system is rigged against them or that Britain is a racist country… This is not only a lie, but a cynical attempt to crush young dreams, and turn impressionistic minds against their own society. I stand here as our country’s first non-white Prime Minister, leading the most diverse government in our country’s history… …to tell people of all races, all faiths and all backgrounds… …it is not the colour of your skin, the God you believe in or where you were born, that will determine your success… …but just your own hard work and endeavour.

“We must be prepared to stand up for our shared values in all circumstances, no matter how difficult. And I respect that the police have a tough job in policing the protests we have seen and that they are operationally independent. But we must draw a line. Yes, you can march and protest with passion… You can demand the protection of civilian life… …but no, you cannot call for violent Jihad.

“There is no “context” in which it may be acceptable to beam antisemitic tropes onto Big Ben in the center of a vote on Israel/Gaza. And there may be no trigger you need to use to justify the help of a proscribed terrorist group, like Hamas. Yes, you’ll be able to freely criticise the actions of this authorities, or certainly any authorities: that may be a basic democratic proper. But no, you can not use that as an excuse to name for the eradication of a State – or any type of hatred or antisemitism. This week I’ve met with senior cops and made clear it’s the public’s expectation… …that they won’t merely handle these protests, however police them. And I say this to the police, we are going to again you once you take motion.

“But if we’re asking extra of the police, we in authorities should additionally again up that decision with motion. To that finish, this month the federal government will implement a brand new sturdy framework for the way it offers with this problem. To be certain that we’re coping with the foundation causes of this drawback… …and that no extremist organisations or people are being lent legitimacy… …by their actions and interactions with central authorities. You can’t be a part of our civic life in case your agenda is to tear it down. We will redouble our help for the Prevent programme to cease younger minds being poisoned by extremism. We will demand that universities cease extremist exercise on campus. We can even act to stop individuals getting into this nation whose purpose is to undermine its values.

“The Home Secretary has instructed that if these right here on visas… …select to spew hate on protests or search to intimidate individuals… …we are going to take away their proper to be right here. And our Britain should not be a rustic in which we descend into polarised camps… …with some communities residing parallel lives. It will not be sufficient to reside side-by-side, we should reside collectively… …united by shared values and a shared dedication to this nation. And I need to converse on to those that select to proceed to protest: Don’t let the extremists hijack your marches.

“You have an opportunity in the approaching weeks to indicate which you can protest decently, peacefully and with empathy on your fellow residents. Let us show these extremists mistaken and present them that even once we disagree… …we are going to by no means be disunited from our widespread values of decency and respect. I really like this nation. My household and I owe it a lot. The time has now come for us all to face collectively to fight the forces of division and beat this poison.

“We should face down the extremists who would tear us aside… …there should be management, not pandering or appeasement. When they inform their lies, we are going to inform the reality. When they try to sap our confidence, we are going to redouble our efforts. And once they try to make us doubt one another… …we are going to dig deeper for that further ounce of compassion and empathy… …that they need us to consider doesn’t exist, however that I do know does. If we will try this, we will construct on our nice achievement in creating at present’s Britain… …a rustic of sort, first rate, tolerant individuals.

“We could make this a rustic in which all of us really feel a renewed sense of delight. This is our residence. So allow us to go ahead collectively, assured in our values and assured in our future.