Four accused of shouting antisemitic slogans from car convoy appear in court
Men from Blackburn covered their faces as they entered and left the court, and will have a crown court hearing next month
Four men charged with yelling antisemitic abuse from a car in a ‘Convoy for Palestine’ protest will be tried by a crown court jury.
Mohammed Iftikhar Hanif, 27, Jawaad Hussain, 24, Asif Ali, 25 and Adil Mota, 26, all from Blackburn, Lancs, were said to be part of a convoy travelling through St John’s Wood.
The four are all charged with using threatening, abusive or insulting words, or behaviour, with intent, likely to stir up racial hatred on 16 May.
They appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today (weds) and spoke only to confirm their names and addresses.
Their lawyers indicated they would all be denying the charges.
Kathryn Selby, prosecuting, said: ‘The four defendants had travelled to London to attend a protest under the name of ‘Convoy for Palestine’.
‘On their way back, it will be the Crown’s case, they went out of their way to travel through Finchley Road.’
Ms Selby said flags were waved from the car on the road which houses the Jewish Centre and witnesses heard chants including ‘f–k all of them, f–k the mothers, f–k the daughters’.
The abuse followed simmering tensions due to the political situation in Israel and the Palestinian territories.
Thousands of people had been marching through Central London in support of the Palestinians, amid ongoing fighting between Israel and militants in Gaza.
Hanif and Ali, both of Pringle Street, Hussain, of Revidge Road and Mota, of Leamington Road Blackburn, are charged with using threatening, abusive or insulting words, or behaviour, with intent, likely to stir up racial hatred.
District judge Nicholas Rimmer told them: ‘You have indicated through your advocates not guilty pleas today, therefore the court moves to allocation, that is where the matter is tried.
‘For the reasons I have given what is alleged is beyond the powers of this court if any or all of you were to be convicted.’
He bailed them all unconditionally ahead of a plea and trial preparation hearing at Wood Green Crown Court on 3 November.
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