The Metropolitan police have charged three people with racial hatred following arrests at a pro-Palestinian protest in central London in December where officers said chants calling for an “intifada” were heard.
The Met said the individuals were charged on Monday with offences under the Public Order Act 1986, relating to the use of threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to stir up racial hatred, or where racial hatred was likely to be stirred up.
Those charged are:
- Abdallah Alanzi, 24, from Brent
- Haya Adam, 21, from Westminster
- Azza Zaki, 60, from Westminster
Police said the three were arrested during a protest outside the Ministry of Justice in Petty France, Westminster, on the evening of December 17, after being identified as allegedly involved in chanting calling for an “intifada.”
They are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on February 23.
The Met said an investigation by its Public Order Crime Team considered not only the specific chant but other chanting heard during the protest, and that the charges authorised reflect the “totality of the alleged offending” on the night.
No further action will be taken against a 17-year-old boy who was arrested at the same protest, police added.
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Last month, the Metropolitan Police and Greater Manchester Police said they would act against placards or chants such as “globalise the intifada,” arguing that words have meaning and consequence.
They stated that violent acts have taken place and that communities have raised concerns about the use of such language, adding that those who use it in a targeted way at protests should expect police action.
This more assertive stance was framed as a response to recent violent incidents, including attacks against Jewish and Zionist targets in Sydney and Manchester, with police arguing that in a context of heightened public safety concerns, protest language may be perceived as more threatening.
Palestine Solidarity Campaign condemns charges
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) has criticised the charges, calling them “disgraceful” and an attack on freedom of expression.
In a statement, PSC said the term intifada is an Arabic word meaning “shaking off” or an uprising against injustice, and argued that its use does not inherently constitute a call to violence.
The group said police had not suggested that the English word “uprising” would result in arrest, describing this as discriminatory and targeting the use of an Arabic term.
PSC said the word became prominent during the first Palestinian intifada, which it characterised as being largely marked by peaceful protest, and noted that the term has also been used to describe other uprisings, including during the Arab Spring.
PSC said many protesters use the term to invoke what it described as a tradition of popular civil resistance against Israeli occupation, which it said is intensifying in the West Bank and Gaza.
The group described the charges as part of a broader pattern of policing aimed at suppressing protests and expressions of support for Palestinians in Britain.
PSC said it would continue its campaign and called for people to attend its next national march for Palestine in London on Saturday, assembling at Russell Square at 12:00 pm under the slogan “End the Genocide – Hands Off Gaza – Stop Arming Israel.”
