Pro-Palestine protest leader pleads 'not guilty' after London arrest

A key organiser of the pro-Palestine march in Central London in January pleaded "not guilty" on Thursday to breaking protest restrictions after police arrested him.

Chris Nineham, 62, the Stop the War Coalition's vice-chair, appeared before Westminster Magistrates Court and pleaded not guilty to two counts of breaking the Public Order Act.

Ahead of Nineham's hearing, protesters gathered outside the court in a show of solidarity, condemning the police's decision to ban marchers from reaching the BBC. 

Nineham, a veteran anti-war activist, serves as the chief steward for the National Protest for Palestine and has played a leading role in organising pro-Palestine demonstrations in Central London.

During the hearing, District Judge Neeta Minhas dropped bail conditions that banned Nineham from attending protests organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

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