BREAKING: Palestine Solidarity Campaign director charged with public order offence

The anti-war stalwart was called in for interview under caution yesterday.

Director of Palestine Solidarity Campaign Ben Jamal has today been charged with a public order offence following this weekend’s national Palestine demonstration.

Jamal was one of 100,000 people who came together in a rally on Whitehall this weekend demanding the end of occupation in Palestine, an end to arms sales to Israel and freedom for the Palestinian people.

As I reported earlier today, Jamal was one of a number of people, including ex-leader of the Labour party and independent MP for Islington North Jeremy Corbyn, who set out to march to the BBC to lay flowers following the rally.

After being allowed to pass through one police line, the group were stopped at the next where chief steward and convener of Stop the War Chris Nineham was violently arrested on Saturday afternoon. The rest of the delegation left their flowers at the feet of the police and dispersed, but not before Jamal took to the megaphone to encourage others to do the same.

Jamal was called in to interview under caution yesterday afternoon. Jeremy Corbyn and ex-shadow Chancellor and Labour MP for Hayes and Harlington John McDonnell were also called in for interview under caution yesterday. There has been no indication either of them will be charged.

Ben Jamal is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 21 February.