On Monday night a large group of anti-Israel protesters held a demonstration outside the family home of Bournemouth East MP Tobias Ellwood, with signs accusing him of being "complicit in genocide".
Between 60-80 protesters waved Palestinian flags, banged drums and chanted “free Palestine” with a megaphone for several hours.
According to reports, Ellwood’s children were “traumatised as a result” of the protest outside their home.
In the darkness, one activist told the crowd: “He [Ellwood] was in there this morning so it is very likely he will be in there now so be loud.”
Operation Bridger, a police security programme to protect MPs, which was established in response to the murder of Jo Cox, was put in place to provide additional security. Police can be seen in videos of the protest shared on social media.
Protesters outside the MP's home (Photo: Twitter/X)
Minister for Housing, Lee Rowley, condemned the protest and told Sky News that the incident was “terrible.”
“Everybody should have a right to make their view known” Rowley said, but “that kind of bullying [and] that kind of attempt to intimidate is unacceptable”.
Dorset Police confirmed they were aware of the protest, and a spokesperson told Sky News: "Officers attended the scene and liaised with the organisers to ensure people could exercise their right to protest legally and safely without causing significant or ongoing serious public disorder, serious damage or serious disruption to the community.
"We respect people's right to lawful protest. However, we have a duty to ensure those involved act within the law and ensure the local community can go about their lawful activities."
The force said the group left the area by around 8.50pm and no arrests were made, but the incident is still being investigated.
The targeting of Ellwood's home comes in the wake of the resignation of Mike Freer, who is quitting parliament after a series of death threats and an arson attack on his constituency office. Freer was targeted by the man who went on to murder David Amess in 2021.
