THREE pro-Palestine protesters have been found guilty of public order offences after a demonstration outside the house of Keir Starmer.
Leonorah Ward, 21, of Leeds, Zosia Lewis, 23, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and Daniel Formentin, 24, of Leeds, hung a banner outside the Labour leader's London house that read, “Starmer stop the killing”, surrounded by red handprints, on April 9.
They also placed four rows of children’s shoes in front of the property to signify the children killed in Gaza.
The trio were representing the group Youth Demand, which describes itself as a “new youth resistance campaign fighting for an end to genocide”.
They were convicted of public order offences under Section 42 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001, and with breaching court bail after a one-day trial at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
District Judge Michael Snow said: “The person who resides here is a senior politician. In the last two years, two Members of Parliament have been murdered.”
Giving evidence at the trial, Keir’s wife Victoria said she felt “a bit sick” when she encountered the trio at her home, and drove around the corner in her car.
“I felt apprehensive and uncomfortable,” she added.
Asked by Andrew Morris, defending, if she knew it was a “peaceful protest”, Victoria Starmer said: “It would look like a peaceful protest if it hadn’t been outside my home.”
A police sergeant who responded to the demonstration told the court that holding the protest outside somebody’s house – instead of outside the House of Commons or Starmer’s offices – was “inappropriate”.
“I did not know if they were going to be there 10 minutes or a day,” Sgt Mark Upsdale said.
Section 42 powers cover the harassment of a person at their home address if an officer suspects it is causing alarm or distress to the occupant.
Formentin told the court he targeted Starmer because he believed the Labour leader was “not accurately representing the country” over the conflict.
“There is an overwhelming sense that young people in this country do want a ceasefire in Palestine,” he claimed.
Marketing consultant Formentin, who wore a keffiyeh pattern scarf, added: “We had no plans to confront anyone."
Delivering his verdict, Judge Snow said the trio had been directed to leave the premises but had “continued” regardless.
