A Jewish man arrested for holding a cartoon mocking assassinated terrorist leader Hassan Nasrallah says his fiancée was left “deeply affected” after police searched their flat – including her underwear drawer – in what his lawyer described as an “appalling” abuse of process.
The man, who spoke to the Jewish Chronicle under the condition of anonymity, was detained at a pro-Israel counter-protest in Swiss Cottage last September. He had held a placard – featuring Nasrallah next to a pager with the words “beep, beep, beep”, referencing Israel’s anti-terror ‘Operation Grim Beeper’ – for less than three minutes before being arrested and charged under the Public Order Act for racially or religiously aggravated harassment.
According to The Telegraph, which first reported the arrest, the man described the cartoon as “political satire” and insisted he had not created the sign nor intended to incite hatred.
“As I crossed the road, someone handed me a sign,” he told the JC. “I didn’t give it a second thought. I didn’t really look at it, I just saw it had Nasrallah on it… My main concern was to stand next to the ladies,” he said, referring to two female counter-protesters he feared were being confronted.
A week later, he was arrested again after returning to the same protest spot. Officers took him to a North London police station where he was held overnight. His home was also searched, and police questioned his partner.
“It was invasive and horrible having officers go through her lingerie drawer,” he said. “It deeply affected my fiancée, who was home at the time.”
The man said that during his interview, officers asked whether he thought the placard might offend “pro-Hezbollah” demonstrators. Hezbollah is a proscribed terror group in the UK, and offering support for it is a criminal offence. The Met later admitted the officer had “misspoken” and meant to say “pro-Palestinian”.
His solicitor, Paul Harris, told the JC: “It’s appalling he was even arrested, let alone charged. There was not a realistic prospect of conviction, and nor was it public interest.” He said the case revealed “serious inconsistency and unfairness” in the policing of opposing protest groups.
The man was released with bail conditions that prevented him from driving along Finchley Road on Friday afternoons, making it impossible for him to collect his elderly mother for Shabbat. Eventually, he was allowed to drive the route – but not get out of the car.
The charges were only dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service on 10 May, just weeks before his scheduled trial.
He believes the entire ordeal reflects a “prejudiced” double standard in how Jewish counter-protesters are treated. “The natural assumption is that we’re doing something wrong,” he said.
A week earlier, on 20 September, another protestor was filmed at the same location shouting “I love the 7th of October” and “I like any organisation that starts with H” – widely interpreted as support for Hamas. That individual was arrested but has not been charged. The Met said a file was submitted to the CPS, which twice declined to prosecute, though discussions remain ongoing.
In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said: “The decision to charge was taken following a careful consideration of the evidence. We will reflect on the CPS decision not to proceed with the case, applying any learning to future investigations.”
The force confirmed it had imposed conditions on at least ten occasions to prevent anti-Israel demonstrations from taking place in Swiss Cottage and said its approach remains “under continual review”.
