Crown actor set to be questioned by police after attending Gaza rally

The Metropolitan Police has asked The Crown actor Khalid Abdalla to attend a “formal interview” in connection with an pro-Palestine rally that saw some 70 protesters arrested.

Abdalla, who played Dodi Fayed in the hit Netflix series, was filmed speaking at a Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) protest on January 18.

“It remains to be seen if this will result in charges,” Abdalla wrote on Instagram on Tuesday, announcing that he had been asked to attend the interview in relation to the protest.

The British actor, who was born in Glasgow to Egyptian parents, claimed that “The right to protest is under attack in this country and it requires us all to defend it.”

“While there is an alarming rise in attempts to censor voices that stand up for Palestine, even as it faces open calls for ethnic cleansing, it will not work,” he added, along with the caption “love and gratitude to all”.

At the protest, Abdalla told the crowd that he looked forward to the release of Palestinian prisoners: “We will have cause to celebrate whatever its shape for the respite in this genocide, for the return of the hostages, for the release of prisoners.”

He said: “It remains to be seen if the ceasefire will hold or if the bloodshed since it was announced augurs what it will become.”

Left-wing fringe Jewish group, Na’amod, posted in solidarity with the actor.

“We are deeply grateful for his inspiring vision of justice and Jewish Arab solidarity and condemn this attack on the right to protest and express support for Palestinian rights and dignity,” the organisation said.

The Met imposed conditions on the PSC rally, which was planned to reach the BBC headquarters, due to its proximity to Central Synagogue just 500 meters away.

The shul’s Rabbi Lerer said that previous protests had damaged his synagogue’s ability to function, with events cancelled and congregants allegedly intimidated on their way to worship.

The January 18 rally saw 77 arrests, including those of more than 60 protesters on suspicion of breaching the conditions.

PSC’s chief steward, Chris Nineham, and the group’s director, Ben Jamal, have already been charged with offences stemming from the protest. The MPs Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell were also interviewed under caution by the police, but no charges have been brought against them.

In a statement on Monday, the PSC said: “These restrictions almost certainly came as a result of political pressure from supporters of Israel's pro-genocide policies.

“What is claimed by the police as justification for this massive overreach of their powers is a complete misrepresentation of what took place, not just on the day but beforehand.”

The notorious protest group added: “We will not be cowed by these attacks on our rights.

“Our cause is to mobilise support for the Palestinian people suffering a genocidal onslaught by the Israeli state, backed by the British government.”