'Disgraceful' Palestine Action protestors 'swarm' Royal Navy officers calling them 'baby butchers' in London

A Home Office minister has described pro-Palestinian protesters who confronted uniformed armed forces personnel outside the Ministry of Defence as “disgraceful”.

Videos on social media showed protesters heckling armed forces personnel, including Royal Navy officers, with cries of “shame on you” as they entered the MoD building in Whitehall on Friday (April 10). A drumbeat could be heard alongside shouts of “shame” and “baby butchers” as police attempted to calm crowds. Some of the crowd carried Palestine flags and some wore a keffiyeh.

In a post on X, Mike Tapp, Labour MP and Home Office minister for migration and citizenship, re-shared one video of the incident, and said: “Instead of being at work (maybe unemployable), they choose to intimidate MoD staff who are working hard to keep our country safe. Disgraceful.”

The protesters also drew criticism from Reform UK MP Richard Tice, who described their behaviour as “shameful intimidation by the mob of pro-Hamas, pro-Iranian regime folk”, in a post on X.

Retired major Andrew Fox, senior associate fellow at the neoconservative Henry Jackson Society (HSJ) think tank, said the behaviour crosses “a serious line”, and risks undermining the “basic respect and protection owed to those in public service”.

In a statement, he said: “Swarming and surrounding senior service personnel as they carry out their duties is not legitimate protest – it is intimidation of those serving the country. Our armed forces should be able to go about their work without fear of harassment or being targeted in this way.

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“There is also a clear security risk. Filming and circulating footage of military personnel is not harmless – it can expose identities, routines, and potentially put both them and their families at risk. People have every right to protest. But grievances about government policy should be directed through democratic channels and at elected decision makers – not at service personnel who don’t set that policy.”

An MoD spokesman said: “We respect the right to peaceful protest. The safety and security of our personnel and buildings is always our priority, and appropriate security measures are in place.”

The Metropolitan Police have been approached for comment.