Three people charged after pro-Palestine protest at Sir Keir Starmer’s home

Three people have been charged with public order offences following a pro-Palestine demonstration outside Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer’s home, the Metropolitan Police have said.

On Tuesday demonstrators hung a banner outside Sir Keir’s house that read: “Starmer stop the killing”, surrounded by red hand prints.

Protesters then laid rows of children’s shoes in front of the Labour leader’s door, a tactic that has been utilised at a number of pro-Palestine protests to signify children killed in Gaza.

The group that carried out the demonstration, known as Youth Demand, describe itself as a “new youth resistance campaign fighting for an end to genocide”.

Home Secretary James Cleverly said he was glad arrests had been made, adding there is “no excuse for harassing and intimidating politicians and their families in their homes”.

A Metropolitan Police statement said: “Two women and a man arrested in Kentish Town on Tuesday April 9 have been charged with public order offences and will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.

“Leonorah Ward, 21, of Beechwood Mount, Burley, Leeds, Zosia Lewis, 23, of Rokeby Terrace, Newcastle upon Tyne and Daniel Formentin, 24, of Woodside Avenue, Burley, Leeds, will appear before the court on Wednesday April 10.

“All have been charged with section 42 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 and for breaching court bail.

“The arrests were made on Tuesday April 9 under section 42 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001.

“This power stops the harassment of a person at their home address if an officer suspects it is causing alarm or distress to the occupant.”

In a video posted to X, formerly Twitter, Youth Demand called for a two-way arms embargo on Israel, saying that weapons manufactured in the UK were being “used to cause genocide”.

The same group sprayed Labour HQ with red paint on Monday and later claimed that 11 people had been arrested in relation to that incident.

The Government has faced increasing pressure to suspend arms export licences to Israel after seven aid workers, including three British nationals, were killed by an Israeli air strike.

Many MPs have also called on the Government to publish legal advice it has received on whether Israel is violating international law in Gaza, where over 30,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 7.

Sir Keir has reiterated calls for the Government to publish the advice, with the party’s shadow foreign secretary David Lammy stating arms sales should be halted if there has been a “serious breach” of international law.

Following the arrests Mr Cleverly posted to X: “There is no excuse for harassing and intimidating politicians and their families in their homes.

“It’s unacceptable and I’m glad the police have arrested and charged those involved.”

On Tuesday Mr Sunak, whose home was targeted by climate protesters last year, posted to X: “I don’t care what your politics are, no MP should be harassed at their own home. We cannot and will not tolerate this.”