Met police agree to pay £7,500 to woman arrested over Gaza protest placard
2025-12-12 14:00
The Metropolitan police have agreed to pay £7,500 in damages to a woman arrested at a Gaza protest for holding up a placard that said: “Apartheid Israel, what a cuntry.”
Aisha Jung, 53, from south London, was with her husband and two of her sons, aged 10 and 11, when police arrested her at the November 2023 demonstration in Trafalgar Square, central London, telling her that the sign could be considered offensive.
When police surrounded her and asked her to put the sign down she asked them what legislation they were relying on. She said she was told officers were finding out the answer, but was not given an explanation and was arrested, searched, bundled into a police van and taken to Bromley police station.
Jung was interviewed on suspicion of committing a religious or racial offence under the Public Order Act, had her fingerprints, photograph and DNA taken and was held until 4am before being bailed.
“I had a lot of sleepless nights following my arrest, worrying about whether I might have to go to court, how my situation might impact my ability to apply for new jobs or continue my role as a school governor,” she said. “My kids were worried about going along to future protests and I had concerns about how witnessing my arrest might affect their relationship with the police in the future.
“I’m relieved it’s all over and the police have finally recognised they made a mistake. Peaceful protest should not be shut down and it’s important that those who wish to protest against Israel’s actions in Gaza, or other injustices in the world, do not feel intimidated to do so.”
One side of the sign said: “Bombing civilians, massacring kids, ethnic cleansing, occupation & blockade, cutting off vital resources, collective punishment.” The other said: “War crimes, war crimes, war crimes, apartheid Israel, what a cuntry.”
Jung was released on bail until March 2024 and was only told in May last year that no action would be taken against her.
Police agreed to settle her claim including for false imprisonment, assault and battery, and misfeasance in public office.
Jung said: “Two weeks earlier I had gone to a demonstration with exactly the same sign, marching past hundreds of police officers. My work in human rights meant I understood my rights and was clear that my sign broke no laws, so the arrest was a huge shock to me.
“I knew it was wise to be polite and do what I was told but I felt very vulnerable, both on the long drive to the station and while spending the night in a police cell. Nothing like this had ever happened to me before.”
In August, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, the watchdog for England, Scotland and Wales wrote to ministers and police expressing concern at a potentially “heavy-handed” approach to protests about Gaza and urging clearer guidance for officers in enforcing the law.
Bríd Doherty, a civil liberties solicitor at Hodge Jones & Allen, who represented Jung, said: “There has been a growing climate of hostility towards those peacefully protesting against Israel’s conduct in Gaza, and it’s chilling to see the frequency with which police are using their powers to clamp down on dissent.
“The Metropolitan police have rightly agreed to settle my client’s case … Her satirical sign was targeted at the Israeli government and their treatment of the Palestinian people and she should not have been arrested while exercising her lawful right to protest.”
A Met spokesperson said that policing protest was “complex”, adding: “There is no single list of what is and isn’t an offence and it is inevitable that despite their best efforts, officers won’t get the judgment right on every occasion.
“Where mistakes are made, such as in this case, it is important that we learn from them and take steps to make sure we’re providing officers with the additional guidance to help inform their decision-making in the future.”