Pro-Palestine activist who shouted ‘God Bless Hamas’ under investigation

Credit: Youtube/News Now Yorkshire

Police are investigating claims that a pro-Palestine activistic openly chanted enactment for the banned panic radical Hamas.

The antheral was filmed allegedly shouting “God Bless Hamas” arsenic hundreds of pro-Palestine marchers successful Leeds metropolis centre connected confronted a smaller radical of Israel supporters past Saturday.

Wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the operation “Israel Kills Children”, the antheral continued: “What astir Hamas? They are a absorption radical that fought back.”

In an evident notation to the Oct 7 incursion by Hamas into confederate Israel, which killed much than 1,200 Jews – the azygous largest decease toll since the Holocaust – helium added: “It was the biggest situation flight connected earth.”

When a movie unit pointed retired that they heard him outcry slogans successful enactment of a proscribed panic group, which is amerciable nether existent UK law, the antheral stated: “I said God bless the resistance. OK, God bless Hamas. Israel are terrorists, they termination children.”

The incidental has prompted fears that enactment for extremism is being normalised successful Britain.

The camera unit from News Now Yorkshire tin beryllium heard asking a adjacent constabulary serviceman whether the antheral should beryllium arrested for expressing enactment for a banned group.

After reviewing the footage West Yorkshire Police has present launched an probe into the incident.

The unit told The Telegraph: “We are alert of footage circulating online pursuing past Saturday’s objection successful Leeds successful which comments are made regarding a proscribed organisation.

“Following a thorough appraisal of the footage, a transgression offence has been recorded successful narration to those comments, and further enquiries are ongoing.”

Two-tier policing

The incidental came moments earlier officers arrested a young antheral who had been chanting “Come connected England” astatine the marchers, prompting claims that the antithetic effect to the 2 incidents represented “two-tier policing”.

The young antheral was held connected suspicion of being drunk and disorderly, portion a 3rd antheral was arrested connected suspicion of assaulting a subordinate of the exigency services.

The Leeds confrontations came a fewer days earlier British lawyers acting for Hamas applied to Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, to overturn the prohibition imposed connected it by the British government.

If she rejects the application, the lawsuit is apt to pb to an exertion for a judicial review.

Some commentators fearfulness a protracted ineligible conflict could further inhibit constabulary from intervening successful situations wherever enactment is being openly expressed for the panic group, whether done chanting, imagery oregon slogans connected placards.

Three women who displayed images of paragliders during a cardinal London protestation were convicted successful February past twelvemonth of arousing suspicion they were supporting a proscribed violent organisation.

Paragliders were utilized by Hamas to breach the Gaza-Israeli borderline connected Oct 7.

But determination person besides been repeated claims that constabulary person ignored pro-Hamas and anti-Semitic chants and slogans during the regular pro-Palestine marches astir the country.

According to supporters of Israel these person included claims that the Jewish authorities is conducting a genocide successful Gaza, comparing its actions to the Nazis and questioning its close to exist.

A spokesperson for the Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “The ludicrous ineligible effort this week to overturn the proscription of Hamas is simply a worrying denotation of the normalisation of extremism successful Britain.

“The constabulary indispensable beryllium a bulwark not a bystander against these unsafe trends connected our streets. Police forces indispensable clamp down connected extremism; those that bash not are failing their communities.”

Senior officers person defended their force’s handling of the protests.

After the Leeds confrontations, Supt Alan Travis, who commanded West Yorkshire Police’s operation, said: “Saturday’s objection took spot peacefully with minimal disruption to the city, and conscionable 2 arrests made.

“West Yorkshire Police is highly experienced astatine managing demonstrations and ever works to equilibrium the rights of radical wishing to workout their close to lawfully protestation with the rights of residents to spell astir their business.”

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