Palestine Solidarity Campaign director pleads not guilty to public order offences

The head of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) has pleaded not guilty to public order offences after he was arrested last month following a pro-Palestine march in central London.

Appearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday morning, director of the PSC, Ben Jamal, pled not guilty to three charges under section 14 of the Public Order Act 1986.

The charges against him, as organiser of the march on January 18, include that he knowingly failed to comply with conditions imposed by the police that it be confined to Whitehall.

He also entered a not guilty pleae in relation to the charge of inciting other persons of the gathering to fail to comply with the same conditions.

On the day in question, a crowd of demonstrators forced their way through a police line and tried to exit the approved area, according to the Metropolitan Police.

Commander Adam Slonecki, who led the policing operation, said: “We saw a deliberate effort, including by protest organisers, to breach conditions and attempt to march out of Whitehall.”

Jamal’s trial has been scheduled to take place over three consecutive days between July 23 and July 25 at Westminster Magistrates Court.

The activist has previously vowed to “vigorously contest” the allegations against him, which he claimed were “repressive”.

Standing outside the entrance to the court on Friday, carrying Palestinian flags and “drop the charges” banners, dozens of supporters of Jamal cheered as he entered and left.

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Jamal is one of more than 70 people arrested at the march, while former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and his Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell were questioned under police caution about the incident.

The demonstration followed weeks of disagreement between police and PSC over the route of the protest, which originally was to end at the offices of the BBC and pass close to a synagogue on Shabbat.