The Guardian view on marching for Gaza: a ban without legal justification would only inflame divisions | Editorial

If the police are satisfied that a protest is safe, ministers should not be stirring suspicion and fear

Political demonstrations are frequently controversial. Any issue that can mobilise tens of thousands of people is likely to involve fierce passions, and provoke strong reactions. In a democracy, those are insufficient grounds for a ban. That is why the Metropolitan police have resisted ministerial pressure to withdraw permission for a Palestinian solidarity march in central London this weekend. Sir Mark Rowley, the Met commissioner, has taken the view that Saturday's march does not pose a threat to public safety. Downing Street has very reluctantly, and perhaps only temporarily, deferred to that judgment.

Rishi Sunak has expressed his objection in terms of the date. A rally on Armistice Day would be disrespectful", according to the prime minister. Whether or not that is true - and the march organisers have tried to accommodate such sensitivities in their choice of route - respectfulness is not a measure of public order. There would be few public demonstrations on any issue if the threshold for a ban were set at breaches of a prime minister's sense of decorum.