Jeremy Corbyn gave speech at demo attended by followers of hate preachers Anjem Choudary and Omar Bakri Muhammad – where some were dressed as suicide bombers
JEREMY Corbyn delivered an incendiary speech at a demo attended by followers of hate preachers Anjem Choudary and Omar Bakri Muhammad.
Witnesses said members of al-Muhajiroun — which inspired jihadis including the London Bridge attackers and other terrorists — were among crowds addressed by the Labour leader in Trafalgar Square.
Some were dressed as suicide bombers.
Hard-left Labour leader Mr Corbyn issued a fiery anti-Israel diatribe at the pro-Palestine rally.
He said: “When the US and Britain give lectures to Iraq and others about UN resolutions, Israel is in breach of more than all the other states put together.”
Police said at least 8,000 people attended the protest on May 18, 2002. An account in the Weekly Worker read: “Al-Muhajiroun chanted, ‘Skud, Skud Israel’ and ‘Gas, gas Tel Aviv’, along with their support for Bin Laden.
MOST READ IN POLITICS
“Two would-be suicide posers were dressed in combat fatigues with a ‘bomb’ strapped to their waists.
This section accounted for no more than 200-300, but they made a noise far out of proportion to their numbers.”
The flag of Lebanese militants Hezbollah — who Mr Corbyn once welcomed to Parliament as “friends” — was also waved.
Founded by Omar Bakri Muhammad in the 1980s and later led by Anjem Choudary, al-Muhajiroun was outlawed in 2005 for glorifying terrorism.
It has continued to operate under various names and was followed by London Bridge attackers Khuram Butt and Rachid Redouane. Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale, who murdered Fusilier Lee Rigby in 2013, were also followers.
Mr Corbyn has boasted of voting against all “anti-terror legislation ever since I first went into Parliament” and opposed powers stopping home-grown jihadis fighting for ISIS in Syria and Iraq.
Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon tonight said the latest revelation showed “exactly why he is unfit to lead the country”.
He added: “Corbyn has a long track record of siding with people who want to damage the UK. There can be no excuse for his decision to address this rally.”
A spokesman for the Labour leader hit back after Mr Corbyn’s attendance was revealed by the Guido Fawkes website.
They insisted: “It was a public event and he was in no way responsible for the views of all of the thousands of attendees.”
The spokesman added: “Jeremy condemns al-Muhajiroun in the strongest possible terms.”
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson today blasted Mr Corbyn for sticking up for a string of Britain’s enemies.
In a stinging attack, he said: “For 30 years he has been soft and muddle-headed on terror.
“He has been soft and muddle-headed on defence, he has taken the side of just about every adversary this country’s had in my lifetime. From the IRA to Hamas, from soviet communism to General Galtieri, for Heaven’s sake.