EXCLUSIVE: Police quiz two women over pro-Hezbollah placards at Palestine demo
Following a Jewish News report, Met Police identified the females allegedly displaying pro-Hezbollah banners at a protest in central London earlier this month
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
Police have interviewed two people under caution who are alleged to have been holding placards showing support for the proscribed Iranian-backed terror group Hezbollah at a pro-Palestine demo in London earlier this month.
Earlier this month Jewish News exclusively revealed how the banners – including one reading “Hezbollah are not terrorists” and another stating “I (heart sign) Hezbollah” – were on display at the demo organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and other groups on 5 October.
A third placard on display at the march, at its start point close to Russell Square tube station, expressed support for Hezbollah’s former secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah, who was assassinated in an airstrike in Beirut last month.
It stated: “Nasrallah is NOT a terrorist!”
After the Jewish News report was published, EXCLUSIVE: Pro-Hezbollah placards openly displayed at latest Palestine demo the Metropolitan Police used our photographs to launch an appeal for people in relation to potential protest offences, including two women holding the placards.
It is understood that officers have now located the females who could be at the centre of the allegations, and have questioned both of them over the claims.
Jewish News helped the Met with its inquiries.
A detailed case is now expected to be sent to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) where a decision will be made on possible charges against those questioned under caution.
Jewish News had approached the females holding the placards aloft on the Saturday of the demo and questioned why they were showing support for a banned terror group.
One of the women replied: “All Shia around the world are Hezbollah.”
The Lebanese Shia Islamist group, which has repeatedly launched barrages of missiles into Israel has been proscribed as a terror organisation in this country since 2019.
Asked about this, the same woman replied: “Israel is the terrorist.”
When faced with the charge that Hezbollah and Hamas are responsible for the murder of innocent people, she replied: “You kill innocent people.”
Our report was followed up by national newspapers including The Times, Telegraph and MailOnline the following day.
In Israel the IDF also released a video on social media to nearly two million followers that stressed the terrorist nature of the Hezbollah organisation, which featured images of the banners exposed by Jewish News on the Palestine demo in London.
Officers made 17 arrests at the 5 October demonstration in central London in total.
While some arrests were made on the day, police noted that the size and density of the crowds meant “what is easy to spot when walking among the crowd with a mobile phone is not always easy for officers to see from their positions along the route”.
In a statement issued after the demo the Met added: “While we will always investigate event after an event, we would urge those who see these incidents and take photos of them to also alert officers if they are nearby so we can intervene immediately. ”
Jewish News has contacted the Met for further comment.
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