Three pro-Palestine protesters are charged over ‘intifada’ chants after Met Police vowed crackdown in wake of Bondi seashore assault
Three people have been charged over alleged chants calling for an ‘intifada’ at a protest on the day police announced a change in approach to the slogan.
Haya Adam, 21, of Edgware Road, central London, Azza Zaki, 60, of Edgware Road, central London, and Abdallah Alanzi, 24, of Fortunegate Road, Brent, will appear in court next month, the Metropolitan Police said.
The force said the trio were arrested at a protest outside the Ministry of Justice in Petty France, Westminster, on Wednesday, December 17, after they were identified as allegedly being involved in chanting calling for an ‘intifada’.
Earlier that day, the Met had announced a change in approach to the slogan, which came in the wake of the Bondi Beach terror attack that claimed the lives of 15 people.
The force said its investigation took into account the ‘intifada’ chant but also other chanting heard during the protest, and the charges reflect ‘the totality of the alleged offending on that evening’.
A Crown Prosecution Service spokesperson said: ‘Our prosecutors have worked to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring this case to court and that it is in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings.
‘We have worked closely with the Metropolitan Police Service as they carried out their investigation.
‘We remind all concerned that proceedings against these defendants are active and that they have the right to a fair trial.
‘It is vital that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.’
The defendants will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on February 23.
Announcing a more ‘assertive’ approach to antisemitic hate crime on December 17, Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley and GMP Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson said circumstances had changed in the wake of the Bondi Beach mass shooting.
They said: ‘We know communities are concerned about placards and chants such as ‘globalise the intifada’, and those using it at future protests or in a targeted way should expect the Met and GMP to take action.
‘Violent acts have taken place, the context has changed – words have meaning and consequence.
‘We will act decisively and make arrests.’
On December 14, 2025, father and son Sajid and Naveed Akram allegedly opened fire on families celebrating ‘Chanukah by the Sea’ from the northern pedestrian bridge.
The bridge, built in the late 1920s, is heritage-listed under the Bondi Pavilion, Beach and Park Plan of Management, and protected by the Crown Lands Management Act.
Its future is now under intense scrutiny.
In the aftermath of the attack, Waverley Council released a statement noting that they were ‘aware of a wide range of views regarding the future of the footbridge at Bondi’.
It followed calls from community members for it to be destroyed.
‘Any decision-making regarding the bridge will require consultation from the Jewish community, the Waverley community, the families of the victims and the NSW Government,’ the Council said.
A 2024 structural review warned that both the north and south pedestrian bridges were deteriorating, and recommended replacement ‘within the next few years’.
Alleged terrorist Naveed Akram (above) will likely never leave the confines of Goulburn’s Supermax prison if convicted of murdering 15 innocent people at Bondi Beach
The father and son duo are alleged to have opened fire on a Jewish festival celebrating the first night of Hanukkah
Naveed Akram is accused of killing 15 innocent people and injuring dozens more during a mass shooting at Bondi Beach alongside his father on December 14 (pictured, a memorial at Bondi Beach on December 21)
The northern bridge, now synonymous with tragedy, sits at the centre of a fierce debate.
Officials maintain that no final decision has been made but stress any move will be considered ‘in the context of future discussions on establishing a permanent memorial in Bondi Park to honour the victims of the Bondi Beach terror attack’.
Councillors will also review several initiatives in response to the tragedy, including hosting a formal event to honour emergency personnel.
Other proposals include allocating sections of the Bondi Beach Sea Wall for community art over the next year and staging an exhibition at the Bondi Pavilion Art Gallery.
