3 UK women found guilty of 'terror charge' for sheer paragliders image

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
13 Feb 2024 23:10

Amid "Israel's" genocidal war on Palestinians in Gaza, three women who displayed images of paragliders during a pro-Palestinian rally in London were convicted of a "terrorism-related offense".

Pro-Palestinian protesters gather with placards and flags, including a banner urging "Resist! Return!, at a "National March For Palestine" in central London on November 11, 2023. (AFP)

Three UK women who displayed images of paragliders during a pro-Palestinian rally in London amid "Israel's" genocidal war on Palestinians in Gaza were found guilty of a "terrorism-related offense" on Tuesday.

Heba Alhayek, 29, and Pauline Ankunda, 26, attached images of paragliders to their backs. Noimutu Olayinka Taiwo, 27, affixed a similar image to the handle of a placard. They faced charges under the "Terrorism Act". It is worth noting that the march occurred on October 14, seven days after "Israel" launched its aggression on Gaza.

Deputy Senior District Judge Tan Ikram at London's Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday said, "There's no evidence that any of these defendants are supporters of Hamas, or were seeking to show support for them."

Admitting that "there's no evidence that any of these defendants are supporters of Hamas, or were seeking to show support for them," Ikram stated that he would not "punish" the defendants and issued a 12-month conditional discharge to each woman.

"You crossed the line, but it would have been fair to say that emotions ran very high on this issue," he added.

The big picture

On Monday, thousands of demonstrators advocating for a Gaza ceasefire marched through central London, moving through Oxford Circus and Whitehall, a recurring event in the capital since the October 7 incident. Protesters displayed flags and signs demanding Palestinian freedom and an end to Israeli aggression.

NOW: Thousands of people protesting outside Downing Street in London demanding a ceasefire in Gaza now.

Israel's assault on and threatened invasion of Rafah must be stopped!

Stop killing Palestinians! pic.twitter.com/yN1H9kqtDv
— Fiona Edwards (@Fio_edwards) February 12, 2024

It is worth noting that the UK authorities have intensified their response to pro-Palestinian rallies, as thousands of demonstrators continue to march through central London calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. Despite a regular occurrence of such protests in the capital, the Met Police has issued warnings, pledging to take action against anyone deemed to "cross the line." The rallies emphasize calls for an immediate ceasefire and the end of the Israeli blockade on Gaza. No similar actions were taken in pro-Israeli rallies, prompting many to question the motive of the police force and accusing it of politicization.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza announced that Israeli occupation forces committed several massacres during the past 24 hours, killing 133 Palestinians and injuring 162, bringing the total number of Palestinians killed in the Israeli aggression on Gaza up to 28,473, in addition to 68,146 injuries.