The conviction of two leaders of the Palestine solidarity movement, Chris Nineham, the vice-chair of the Stop the War Coalition, and Ben Jamal, director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, for breaching police conditions as organisers of a peaceful Palestine protest has been widely seen as a direct assault on the right to protest.
But it’s far from the only case of its kind. In fact state overreach is causing confusion in the UK court system, as it struggles to cope with hundreds of cases brought under the Public Order Act and anti-terrorism legislation.
The tsunami is the result of a wave of demonstrators being charged with offences linked to their participation in pro-Palestine protests since October 2023, compounded by the proscription of Palestine Action last year.
In some cases, courts are simply refusing to convict. A number of pro-Palestinian activists have been found not guilty, either fully or on key charges. Other cases have been dismissed or ruled unlawful.