Two women, Heba Alhayek, 29, and Pauline Ankunda, 26, from south London, are set to appear in court on Nov. 15 after being charged under the Terrorism Act. The charges stem from their display of images of a paraglider during a pro-Palestinian protest in London. The Metropolitan Police stated that on Oct. 14, the women carried or displayed an image of a paraglider in a way that aroused reasonable suspicion of their support for Hamas, a proscribed organization, contrary to the Terrorism Act 2000.
The paraglider gained notoriety after being used by Hamas terrorists to cross Gaza’s border with Israel on Oct. 7, resulting in the Israel-Hamas war and the deaths of over 1,000 Israelis. Following an appeal for information about the protesters, including the two women, the pair voluntarily came forward to a police station in south London on Oct. 30 and were subsequently arrested.
Ms. Alhayek and Ms. Ankunda were released on bail, charged on Friday upon their return, and then released on bail again. They are scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Nov. 10. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has emphasized the importance of not sharing any information that could potentially prejudice the ongoing proceedings.
The CPS’s Nick Price highlighted the need for a fair trial and reminded the public that the role of the CPS is to make objective assessments and present charges, rather than determine guilt. Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Police continue to search for a third woman who was also present with a paraglider image at the same protest. Additionally, they are seeking a man who was seen waving a placard in support of Hamas during a separate protest on Bond Street on Oct. 21 as part of an ongoing investigation.