Outrage as pro-Palestine protesters target Keir Starmer’s home

The group, known as Youth Demand, are calling for the Labour leader to support an arms embargo against Israel

Three people have been charged after a protest outside Sir Keir Starmer’s home (Youth Demand/PA Wire)

Pro-Palestine protesters who sparked outrage after staging a demonstration outside Sir Keir Starmer’s London home have been charged with public order offences.

The group, known as Youth Demand, called on the Labour leader to support an arms embargo on Israel.

The three demonstrators hung a banner that read “Starmer stop the killing” surrounded by red hand prints, while rows of children’s shoes were placed in front of his front door.

Prime minister Rishi Sunak and homes secretary James Cleverly were among those to condemn the demonstrators for targeting a politician’s private home.

In a now-deleted post to X, Mr Sunak said: “I don’t care what your politics are, no MP should be harassed at their own home. We cannot and will not tolerate this.”

Home secretary James Cleverly also posted to X, saying: “This is unacceptable. There is no excuse for harassing and intimidating politicians and their families in their homes.”

The Metropolitan Police carried out the arrests in Kentish Town on Tuesday under Section 42 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001, a power designed to “stop the harassment of a person at their home address”.

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”.

Children’s shoes were placed outside his front doorstep to represent the children killed in Gaza (Youth Demand/PA Wire)

Following the protest, the group were condemned by a number of political figures, including Rishi Sunak, who was previously the target of climate protesters in 2023.

The Government has been under increasing pressure to publish legal advice it has received in relation to whether Israel is violating international humanitarian law in Gaza, after three British aid workers were killed by Israeli air strikes in the region.

The Labour leader has called for the government to publish their legal advice on whether Israel is violating international humanitarian law (Jordan Pettitt/PA) (PA Wire)

Sir Keir has called 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.

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.”