Three people charged after protesting outside Sir Keir Starmer's home

Three people have been charged with public order offences after a pro-Palestinian protest outside Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer's home.

Demonstrators hung a banner outside Sir Keir’s house that read: “Starmer stop the killing” surrounded by red hand prints.

They then laid rows of children’s shoes in front of the door, something that has been done at a number of pro-Palestine protests to signify children killed in Gaza.

Two women and a man were arrested in Kentish Town on Tuesday (9 April) and are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.

Leonorah Ward, 21 of Beechwood Mount, Burley, Leeds, Zosia Lewis, 23 of Rokeby Terrace, Newcastle upon Tyne and Daniel Formentin, 24 of Woodside Avenue, Burley, Leeds, will appear before the court on Wednesday (10 April).

All have been charged with section 42 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 and for breaching court bail.

The arrests were made on Tuesday, 9 April under section 42 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001.

This power stops the harassment of a person at their home address if an officer suspects it is causing alarm or distress to the occupant.

Prosecutor David Burns told Westminster Magistrates’ Court the incident had “really affected” Sir Keir’s wife, Victoria, who had “returned from a shopping trip with her son”.

The protest meant she could not return to her home because she “felt intimidated”, Mr Burns said.

After the demonstration, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak condemned the protesters, saying in a post to X: “I don’t care what your politics are, no MP should be harassed at their own home."

The three people charged have denied the public order offences, and will go on trial on June 19.

All three were granted conditional bail, ordering them not participate in any further protests, or to leave the county in which they live.

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