Officers working as part of the Met’s response to the conflict between Israel and Hamas have secured charges against three people for offences linked to protests or incidents of hate crime.
The charges follow investigations led by detectives from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command and the Public Order Crime Team.
Urslaan Khan, 41 (06.03.82) of east London, has been charged with the following offence:
“On 17 October 2023 at Whitehall, London SW1 expressed an opinion or belief that was supportive of a proscribed organisation, namely the organisation known as Hamas, and in doing so was reckless as to whether a person to whom the expression was directed would be encouraged to support a proscribed organisation (contrary to S12(1A) Terrorism Act 2000).”
Khan is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday, 17 November.
Mohammed Elle, 23 (16.05.00) of Ulster Place, Westminster was charged with assaulting an emergency worker and possession of cannabis.
He was also charged with failing to comply with a direction to disperse after a dispersal order was put in place and failing to remove a face covering when required.
Elle was arrested on Saturday, 4 November after fireworks were fired at police officers who were trying to disperse a large group of protesters.
He is currently on bail and will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, 23 November.
Jorge Silva, 58 (10.03.65) of Amhurst Park, Hackney has been charged with using threatening and abusive behaviour intended to cause racially aggravated harassment, alarm or distress.
The charge relates to an incident in Hackney on Saturday, 14 October where Silva is alleged to have made anti-Semitic comments.
Silva was bailed to appear at Stratford Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, 29 November.
In addition to the charges set out above, officers have arrested a woman in connection with an investigation into alleged terrorism offences at a protest in Whitehall on Saturday, 14 October where a group were seen displaying images of paragliders.
On the evening of Wednesday, 8 November, officers from the Counter Terrorism Command arrested a 27-year-old woman from south London on suspicion of inviting support for a proscribed organisation, contrary to section 12(1)(a) of the Terrorism Act 2000.
She remains in custody at a west London police station.
Two women were previously arrested and charged with inviting support for a proscribed organisation as part of the same investigation.
They are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday, 10 November.
Chief Superintendent Joseph McDonald said: “Officers from across the Met continue to work to identify and secure charges against anyone believed to have committed offences during protests or in the community.
“We continue to receive reports about potential offences, committed both in the real world and online, and we are grateful for the public for their ongoing assistance.
“We would urge anyone who has information about suspicious activity or actions that they believe may constitute an offence to get in touch. Every report is reviewed, and we will act where offences are identified.”
