Help Needed With Legal Fees For A Pro-Palestine Activist

I was targeted for arrest at a peaceful protest in April outside UTACS Leicester - an Elbit System company that manufactures military drones used against Palestinians.

The Police - in a show of heavy-handedness and excessive force - violently arrested four activists, including myself as the only African man present. I was targeted by the lead Police officer who heavily shoved me, without contact on my part, in an unprovoked and unexpected attack. This action he has claimed was "assault of an emergency worker by way of beating" which if convicted carries up to a 2 year custodial sentence. This has all been captured on camera.

On the 22nd May I represented myself in Leicester magistrates court and the case has now progressed to the Leicester Crown Court where there will be a plea hearing on July 8th.

I have made an application for legal aid (LAA) and it has been provisionally assessed that as I work full time, as a support worker for vulnerable adults, my personal financial contribution towards crown court legal costs are in the region around £5500 - this is for solicitor and barrister representation.

I will have £921 to pay each month for 6 months starting the end of June 2024.

Please help me fight this case. Whatever size financial contribution you can make will be appreciated.

If I lose I am likely to have to pay even more – up to double this sum!

If I am successful and receive a not guilty verdict or the case is dropped against me, I have been informed we will get all of the personal legal contributions paid back to me. I will direct this to other protesters/ activists/ campaigners needing legal support for right to protest cases.

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With the ongoing genocide in Gaza, we have to continue to protest the UK sales of arms being used against the Palestinian people and to stop those companies like Elbit who are manufacturing and supplying those arms and weaponry. Protests continue at the UTACS factory in Braunstone, Leicester, who manufacture the drones being used against the whole population in Gaza. These drones the company claims are for the British military, which we still should be challenging, but there is physical evidence these drones have been battle-tested, used and weaponised by Israeli forces against the Palestinians in the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Some Elbit factories in UK have already been closed down as a result of ongoing protests.

Several local community initiatives, as well as organisers from Palestine Action (PA) and Palestinian Solidarity Campaign (PSC) have mobilised larger numbers of people to take protest action of different forms to attempt to shut this site down permanently.

This is not an easy task but is winnable even as our government is in full support of the genocides in Gaza and elsewhere, and protects and supports the UK based companies and industries doing so much of this harm.

To win we must organise and stay in the streets!!

Please show your solidarity and donate if you can and share widely. Many thanks!