In February 2020, Despine Green, a supporter of Nottingham RCG, was arrested at a protest against HSBC and the British state’s support for Israel. Following a long legal challenge, Despine has been awarded £24,000 in damages after the circuit judge ruled the police conduct to be ‘oppressive and unconstitutional’. This important victory gives lessons for those facing criminalisation in Britain for advocating for Palestinian rights.
The arrest
On 8 February 2020, Nottingham RCG held a picket of HSBC bank in Clumber Street at the heart of the city centre. Comrades were engaging the public in conversation, with literature and speeches, on the need to support the Palestinian people’s struggle for liberation and the urgency of ending British support for Israel. A lone member of the public called the police to accuse the demonstrators of anti-Semitism, with vague claims of antisemitic chants and a particular opposition to a placard saying ‘Zionism is Racism!’
Police were dispatched to the scene and after persistent harassment of the demonstration, they demanded names and addresses of the protesters on threat of arrest. In order to avoid arrest, protesters other than Despine gave their names and addresses. Video evidence seen by the court showed the arresting officer, PC David Hawkins, agreeing with Sergeant Graham Whitt to arrest Despine. Hawkins, then asking Whitt ‘So, what’s it for?’ to which Whitt responds; ‘antisemitic chants’; Whitt then proceeds to handcuff and arrest Despine on the busy high street. Throughout proceedings Nottinghamshire Police have failed to give any examples of discriminatory language used by Despine or any of the other protestors.
Nottingham RCG responded to the arrest immediately, in order to enact a political cost for the police. A protest was held outside the police station where Despine was held, thousands signed online and paper petitions calling for the dropping of any charges, and by March 2020 Despine was told no further action would be taken against them (see ‘Victory for Nottingham anti-Zionists!’ on our website).
Causing offence is no offence
Despine went on to lodge a claim against Nottinghamshire police for unlawful arrest. The case was heard in June 2025 in Mansfield County Court. The judgement found specifically of the slogan ‘Zionism is Racism!’, that even if members of the public found it to be wrong, offensive, unwelcome, or irritating, ‘all of that is at the end of this case merely a question of personal taste, preference or aesthetics, about which people can legitimately disagree in a free and democratic society. There was no objective evidence of any public order offence’, and hence the arrest of Despine was unlawful.
Police ‘enforcers’ for Zionism – ‘not bad apples’
Although the court found that the police officers acted in ‘good faith’ by taking at face value the complaint from the Zionist member of the public, this did not exonerate them from blame, as there were objectively no grounds to make the arrest. The judge was forthright in setting this out
‘PC Hawkins (and Sgt Whitt) failed to exercise any or any sufficient independent judgment and simply and unthinkingly… cast themselves in the role of the “enforcers” of a complainant who had taken offence at what was being said and who had not presented to the officers anything that suggested that there was a criminal offence rather than a political disagreement in which “offence” had been taken….
‘[The officers] badly misunderstand, in an entirely unconstitutional and significantly harmful way, to the detriment of the freedom of expression and liberty of the subject, the principles relating to public order policing… I do not consider that PC Hawkins, or Sgt Whitt, are “bad apples”, or “exceptions”… The ultimate responsibility lies with… the Chief Constable to ensure that her officers are properly trained and instructed and in fact observe on the ground proper standards as to the principles relating to public order policing.
‘What happened in this case, in my judgment, was a really bad, unjustified, interference with freedom of speech where the police managed, unwittingly perhaps (but no less blameworthy because of that), to become a tool of real and active oppression at the instigation of another private citizen without observing any of the safeguards of independence and independence of judgment to which the Claimant was entitled.
It is no surprise for supporters of Palestine that an English police force would willingly act as ‘enforcers’ for a Zionist, as Zionism is fully supported by the ruling class. It is significant that, in this case, the judge has spelled out that activists are entirely within their rights to advocate for Palestine and against Zionism, even when this offends the sentiments of advocates of Israel. Further, the responsibility for this unlawful arrest is not laid at the feet of the officers on the spot, but rather the whole police force.
Know your rights
Under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, police officers have the power to arrest someone if 1) they have reasonable suspicion they have committed an offence, and 2) an arrest is necessary. An arrest can be ‘necessary’ if it is carried out in order for the police to ascertain the name and address of the suspect, but this is contingent on the reasonable suspicion of an offence having been committed. In Despine’s case, the arrest was unlawful as there were no reasonable grounds to suspect they had committed an offence. This case shows the importance of asserting our rights through all available means – when we fight back we can win.
Zionism is racism! Defend the right to protest! Defending Palestine is not a crime! Victory to the Palestinian resistance!
Matt Glass
Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! 307 August/September 2025
