Holocaust survivors denounce persecution of Stephen Kapos and others in Palestine Solidarity Movement

Palestine Solidarity Campaign said the actions by the Metropolitan Police to issue letters ordering several activists including Kapos, to attend formal interviews were “unjust and politically motivated”.

Kapos and several other activists attended a Palestine solidarity protest on January 18. Kapos has been called in for questioning by the police for allegedly carrying a bunch of flowers into Trafalgar Square.

In a statement, the statement read: “We were extremely shocked to hear that the Holocaust survivor, Stephen Kapos, has been called in by the Metropolitan police for questioning about the 18 January pro-Palestine protest. Any repression of the right to protest is bad enough – but to persecute a Jewish 87 year old whose Holocaust experiences compel him to speak out against the Gaza genocide, is quite appalling.

“This very concerning development makes it even more important for Jews to speak out against the genocide. We fully support Stephen.”

The letters, according to the group, were also issued to prominent actor Khalid Abdalla, Stop the War Coalition officers Lindsey German, Alex Kenny, and Andrew Murray, CND General Secretary Sophie Bolt, Friends of Al-Aqsa Chair Ismail Patel, among others.

The group said in a statement: “The police claim in these letters that the activists breached conditions imposed by the police, limiting the right to protest against the genocide in Gaza."

The Coalition argues that the restrictions on protests appear to be a direct result of political pressure from supporters of Israel’s pro-genocide policies.

They also said the protest's chief steward, Chris Nineham, and Palestine Solidarity Campaign director Ben Jamal, along with many others, have already been charged with offences related to the protest. Chris Nineham was reportedly violently arrested on the day of the protest.

In addition to the activists, MPs Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell have also been interviewed under caution by the police. "This coordinated attack against the Palestine solidarity movement is attempting to halt public protest on this issue through harassment and increasingly draconian restrictions on demonstrations," the Coalition added.

The coalition said: “That a Holocaust survivor is called in by the police under these circumstances underlines the unjustifiable extremes to which the Metropolitan Police are prepared to go to restrict the right to public protest and silence the Palestine solidarity movement.”

The group also criticised the police for misrepresenting the events that took place, both on the day of the protest and in the lead-up to it. “Our cause is to mobilise support for the Palestinian people suffering a genocidal onslaught by the Israeli state, backed by the British government,” they said. “To pursue this just cause, we must also defend the right to protest.”

The Coalition is also calling for an immediate halt to any prosecutions or proceedings against those involved in the peaceful protest and demands that the Metropolitan Police respect the right to protest. They also insist that the police cease taking instructions from those who seek to back Israel’s actions and drive the Palestine solidarity movement off the streets.

“We will not be cowed by these attacks on our rights,” the Coalition said. “Those who seek to do so will not succeed under any circumstances. We urge all those committed to preserving long-established freedoms to join us in protesting against this mounting campaign of state harassment.”