Protesters celebrated Hamas with paraglider images, prosecutors allege
ReutersThe three women appeared in court and were granted unconditional bailThree people at a pro-Palestine march in central London displayed images of paragliders, "celebrating" the Hamas tactic, a court has been told.
Heba Alhayek, 29, and Pauline Ankunda, 26, attached images to their backs, prosecutors allege, just seven days after Hamas militants used paragliders to enter Israel on 7 October.
Noimutu Olayinka Taiwo, 27, stuck one to a placard's handle, it is alleged.
At Westminster Magistrates' Court, they deny charges under the Terrorism Act.
They are charged with carrying or displaying an article to arouse reasonable suspicion that they are supporters of banned organisation Hamas.
The trio's display of the images at the protest on 14 October was widely condemned when footage of the demonstration was published on social media, their trial was told.
Prosecutor Brett Weaver told the court: "The displaying of these images could be viewed as celebrating the use of the paragliders' tactic.
"They had them on display for a significant period of time. Each of them would have been able to see what the others were doing," he said.
After the Metropolitan Police began a social media appeal to find them, Ms Alhayek and Ms Ankunda handed themselves in to Croydon Police Station, the court heard.
In a police interview, the pair initially claimed someone at the demonstration "who was not known to them" had stuck the images to their backs, before changing their statements, admitting they had attached them themselves, the court was told.
When arrested and interviewed under caution, Ms Taiwo said she had been handed the placard and not paid proper attention to the "blurry image" it displayed, the court heard.
The trial continues.
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