Jeremy Corbyn has said that 'today’s verdict is a dark day for civil liberties in this country'
The convictions of Palestine Solidarity Campaign director Ben Jamal and Stop the War vice-chair Chris Nineham have been called “shocking and a huge setback for civil liberties”.
Today, District Judge Daniel Sternberg found both Jamal and Nineham guilty of breaching police restrictions during a pro-Palestine protest on 18 January 2025.
The Metropolitan Police imposed restrictions to block the march from gathering near a central London synagogue, citing concerns about the safety of the Jewish community.
The judge ruled that Jamal and Nineham had “knowingly” breached those rules by marching to the nearby BBC headquarters in Portland Place.
At the protest on 18 January, Jamal made a speech explaining that a delegation of leaders of the coalition, plus MPs and trade union leaders, would walk peacefully towards the BBC’s headquarters.
Jamal told the crowd that the delegation would lay flowers to mark the Corporation’s failures to report the truth of genocide in Gaza.
As a result, Jamal was convicted of two counts of inciting other protesters to breach the police conditions.
Jamal received an 18-month conditional discharge while Nineham received a 12-month conditional discharge. They were also ordered to pay £7,500 in prosecution costs.
In a speech outside Westminster Magistrates’ Court, Jamal said that both he and Nineham and the movement “will not be silenced”.
Jamal said: “We know that decisions like today are designed to repress support for the Palestinian struggle for liberation and our campaign to end all UK complicity in Israel’s ongoing genocide and it will not succeed.”
In a post on X, former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he was “appalled” by the verdict.
Corbyn said: “In January 2025, we held an entirely peaceful demonstration in support of Palestinian people.
“At all times, they — and we — followed all police instructions. We ended the demonstration by laying down flowers at their feet to mourn the deaths of Palestinian children.”
He added: “Today’s verdict is a dark day for civil liberties in this country — and is a disgraceful assault on the right to protest.
“This case is part of a wider attempt to intimidate the Palestinian solidarity movement into silence. They will never succeed.”
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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