KUALA LUMPUR – UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has sacked interior minister Suella Braverman, following her remarks about pro-Palestinian protestors over the weekend and against police.
UK news outlets are reporting that Sunak was under pressure to remove the Home Secretary, who has been accused of “sowing hatred” and harsh language, when commenting on protests for Remembrance Day and for Palestine solidarity in London on Saturday.
Braverman reportedly called the pro-Palestine demonstrations “hate marches”, while also accusing police of practising double standards in their handling of both protests.
UK media also report that Braverman’s removal is likely part of Sunak’s cabinet reshuffle ahead of a general election possibly taking place next year.
Braverman’s removal appears to have been hastened following an article she wrote for The Times published last Thursday, in which she implied that police have favoured pro-Palestine demonstrators whom she described as “mobs”.
The Guardian reported Braverman’s comments after her sacking, where she said serving as Home Secretary had “been the greatest privilege of my life” and that she would “have more to say in due course”.
After her article was published, various ministers began distancing themselves from her, taking issue with her choice of words and suitability for the job.
Prior to that, Braverman had been seen as increasingly right-wing.
In Saturday’s protests, police arrested 145 people, many of whom were reportedly “right-wing aggressors” counter-demonstrating against the pro-Palestinian demonstration, which saw an estimated 300,000 people marching through the streets of central London calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. – November 13, 2023