Man sentenced for carrying threatening sign at London protest

A man who carried a threatening sign at a pro-Palestine protest in London and assaulted a fellow protestor has been sentenced.

Rabar Karim, 31, was found guilty of assault by beating and a public order offence after a trial at Westminster Magistrates’ Court earlier this year.

He was sentenced today (25 March 2023) to a 12-month community order, with 15 days rehabilitation activity requirement, and ordered to pay a total of £150 in compensation to the victims.

Karim attended a pro-Palestinian march on 4 November 2023 in central London. During the protest, he kept holding up a sign that threatened to blow up the House of Lords. Another protestor tried to gain the attention of the police and when others became aware, they told Karim to stop.

When one of the protestors tried to grab the sign from Karim, he responded by hitting her over the head with a stick.

Michael Mallon, from the CPS, said: “The right to protest does not provide a right to commit criminal offences.

“Rabar Karim’s actions caused alarm to others present at the protest and when they tried to intervene, he assaulted one of them by hitting her with a stick so hard that it broke.

“I hope this conviction serves as a reminder that such criminal behaviour will not be tolerated”.