Police have dropped a “ludicrous” investigation into a protester who held a “Hamas are terrorists” banner at pro-Palestine demonstrations.
Niyak Ghorbani, an Iranian dissident, became well known last year for protesting against Hamas while standing along the routes of several protests held in London against Israel’s retaliation to the Oct 7 attacks.
In November last year, he was accused of making racially aggravated threats to kill a supporter of Palestine at a demonstration outside Queen Mary University of London in Mile End. A police investigation was launched after the pro-Palestinian protester alleged that Mr Ghorbani said: “I’ll kill you, you Arab b------”.
Mr Ghorbani was campaigning against the university’s decision to host Francesca Albanese, a UN special rapporteur, who previously compared Israeli actions with the Holocaust.
Ms Albanese, who was appointed to her position in 2022, had also previously said that American opinion on the Israel-Palestine conflict was “subjugated by the Jewish lobby”. On the day of Hamas’s attacks against Israel, she tweeted: “Today’s violence must be put in context.”
A formal protest against her was cancelled due to security concerns but several protestors including Mr Ghorbani continued nonetheless, where they were met by pro-Palestinian counter-protesters.
Mr Ghorbani has since been told that the investigation into his behaviour has been dropped, according to the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism.
Stephen Silverman, director of investigations and enforcement for the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism, said: “We welcome the decision to drop the ludicrous investigation against Niyak Ghorbani, who should never have been subjected to this ordeal in the first place.
“It is appalling that those who speak out against terrorism are targeted while actual extremists go unchallenged. We are proud yet again to have provided legal assistance to Mr Ghorbani and we will continue to stand with all those who stand with the Jewish community and face repercussions for doing so.”
In April last year, a judge told the Metropolitan Police it could not stop Mr Ghorbani from attending pro-Palestinian protests with his sign which reads “Hamas are terrorists”.
The 38-year-old has been manhandled and attacked by some protesters, but insists he is doing nothing wrong in pointing out that Hamas is a proscribed terror group under UK law.
In May last year, Mr Ghorbani was arrested for racism after eating a banana during a pro-Palestine protest. He had been accused of making a racist gesture with it while standing with counter protesters in central London.
Mr Ghorbani’s lawyer insisted his actions were not racially motivated and the bail conditions were unnecessary and disproportionate.
After his arrest, police imposed bail conditions on the 38-year-old, banning him from attending any protest relating to Palestine or from entering the London boroughs of Camden or Westminster. But a judge threw out the strict bail conditions, ruling that the conditions were neither proportionate nor necessary.
A Met Police spokesman said: “No further action will be taken against a man who was arrested following an altercation in Mile End Road on Nov 12 2024.
“Inquiries are still ongoing into an allegation of perverting the course of justice relating to the same incident.”