Trial #2, Day #3
As the retrial of our comrade Sarah continues, supporters of the SOAS 2 Defence Campaign and the Revolutionary Communist Group maintained a third day of protest outside the court, defiantly chanting slogans and waving Palestinian, Cuban and Irish flags. We heard speeches in solidarity with political prisoners and wrote cards to send to imprisoned activists. Comrades came from Birmingham, Sheffield, Newcastle, Nottingham, Blackburn and elsewhere to join the demonstration.
Today, the City of London police again issued a prohibition on amplified sound, musical instruments and even ‘improvised percussion’. These bans are carried out under the draconian powers of the Public Order Act section 14. In its original form s14 only allowed ‘static demonstrations’ to be restricted in terms of numbers attending, duration and location, but since being amended in 2023 it permits almost any condition to be imposed on a protest, in the name of preventing ‘serious disruption’.
Meanwhile, inside the court, Sarah was cross-examined by the prosecution barrister as the Crown Prosecution Service attempts to have her convicted on terrorism charges for a speech she made at the start of the Gaza genocide, upholding the internationally recognised right of oppressed people to armed self-defence.
Sarah is not intimidated by the attempt to criminalise her and we, her supporters and comrades, are likewise completely undeterred by any restriction the police may try to oppose on our right to protest. We go again tomorrow and every day until the trial is finished.
Join us at the Old Bailey Central Criminal Court from 10.30pm on Thursday 17 September to continue to support Sarah and defend our right to defend Palestine!
