Yahoo News Newcastle woman one of three charged after pro-Palestine protest at Keir Starmer's home
A woman from Newcastle is among three people to have been charged with public order offences after carrying out a pro-Palestine protest outside Sir Keir Starmer's house. Demonstrators gathered at the home of the Labour leader with a huge banner, which read 'Starmer stop the killing' and was surrounded by red hand prints on Tuesday (April 9).
Protesters then laid rows of children's shoes in front of the Kentish Town property, a tactic which has been utilised at a number of pro-Palestine protests to signify innocent children killed in Gaza. The group who carried out the protest are known as Youth Demand, and describes itself as a 'new youth resistance campaign fighting for an end to genocide'.
A statement from the Metropolitan Police, read: "Two women and a man arrested in Kentish Town on Tuesday April 9 have been charged with public order offences and will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
"Leonorah Ward, 21, of Beechwood Mount, Burley, Leeds, Zosia Lewis, 23, of Rokeby Terrace, Newcastle upon Tyne and Daniel Formentin, 24, of Woodside Avenue, Burley, Leeds, will appear before the court on Wednesday April 10. All have been charged with section 42 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 and for breaching court bail.
"The arrests were made on Tuesday April 9 under section 42 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001. This power stops the harassment of a person at their home address if an officer suspects it is causing alarm or distress to the occupant."
In a video posted to X, Youth Demand called for a two-way arms embargo on Israel, alleging that weapons made in the UK were being 'used to cause genocide'. The very same group sprayed Labour's headquarters with red paint on Monday (April 8), claiming that 11 people were arrested in relation to the incident.
It comes as the Government faces increasing pressure to suspend arms export licences to Israel after seven aid workers - including three British nationals - were killed by an Israeli air strike. Many MPs have also called on the Government to publish legal advice received on whether Israel is violating international law in Gaza - where more than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 7.
Sir Keir has reiterated calls for the Government to publish the advice, with ex-shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy explaining that arms sales should be halted if a 'serious breach' of international law has occurred. Yesterday, PM Rishi Sunak, wrote: "I don’t care what your politics are, no MP should be harassed at their own home. We cannot and will not tolerate this."
