Pro-Palestine campaigner who celebrated October 7 as a ‘homecoming’ arrested forward of an anti-zionist group launch in Birmingham

A pro-Palestinian campaigner who celebrated October 7 as a ‘homecoming’ and has protested against ‘Jewish supremacy’ was dramatically arrested ahead of an anti-zionist group launch in Birmingham.

Latifa Abouchakra, who works as a reporter for Iranian state channel Press TV, had been due to speak at the launch of the Anti-Zionist Movement (AZM), alongside former academic David Miller and suspended NHS doctor Rahmeh Aladwan.

But the 35-year-old was arrested in nearby Kings Heath at around 2.30pm, just 90 minutes before the start of the event.

West Midlands Police said officers stopped a car she was travelling in.

In a statement the force said a 35-year-old woman was detained on suspicion of inciting racial hatred.

‘She was wanted by the Metropolitan Police on suspicion of a Public Order Act offence, as part of an investigation by the London force into speeches and social media posts made between May and October last year in the capital and Birmingham,’ the statement said.

She remains in custody.

Abouchakra was one of a panel of speakers invited to appear at the inaugural meeting of the AZM, which declared in an advert that it was ‘unapologetically pro Armed Resistance.’

The event was originally due to be held at The Old Print Works in the Balsall Heath area of Birmingham on Sunday afternoon.

But the venue cancelled the booking last week following widespread outcry after an advert described it as ‘a Palestinian-led grassroots movement that’s unapologetically anti-zionist [sic], Pro Armed Resistance and campaigns against Jewish Supremacy.’

The group said it also ‘upholds’ the Thawabit, the founding principles of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, the political group governing the Palestinian territories, which includes the statement: ‘Armed struggle is the only way to liberate Palestine. This is the overall strategy, not merely a tactical phase.’

Organisers vowed the meeting would still take place and only revealed details of the new venue to ticket holders two hours before it began.

There was a large police presence outside the new venue, Al Andalus Hall, just two doors down from The Old Print Works.

Organisers erected a Palestinian flag with the words ‘Viva Palestina’ outside the door to the hall, located above a Yemeni restaurant.

Masked security guards only let attendees enter if they had a ticket and showed identification.

Police officers filmed those entering the venue and also challenged two counter-protesters standing outside.

Among the attendees was controversial ‘TikTok lawyer’ Akhmed Yakoob, who is awaiting trial on money laundering charges.

Yakoob is behind the Independent Candidate Alliance, which is backing convicted terrorist Shahid Butt, 60, as a candidate in the upcoming Birmingham City Council elections.

A member of Yakoob’s entourage shouted ‘Zionists are terrorists’ at waiting media as he entered the hall.

It is understood prominent speakers were able to access the venue through a side door to avoid the cameras.

One attendee, who did not want to be named, claimed the discussions inside revolved around ‘Zionists, including Jeffrey Epstein.’

The panellists due to feature on Sunday included Abouchakra, who has described herself online as ‘a 35-year-old Palestinian refugee’ and previously appeared on Palestine Declassified, a programme on the Iranian State-owned news network Press TV.

In a segment following the events of October 7, 2023, she described the hostages taken by Hamas as ‘settlers’ and ‘prisoners of war’.

Abouchakra also descried the terrorist attack as ‘the homecoming of at least 1,000 Palestinians from the resistance factions into the fragile Zionist entity.’

Last year The Board of Deputies of British Jews branded an ITV News interview with her as a ‘catastrophically bad decision’.

She had been referred to by ITV as a ‘British Palestinian living in London’ during an interview about the rise of Islamophobia in Britain, without any acknowledgment of her links to the Iranian state broadcaster.

Press TV had its licence revoked by Ofcom more than ten years ago because of its breach of broadcasting rules.

The panel also included NHS medic Dr Aladwan, who has been suspended from practice over alleged support for Hamas, which is proscribed in the UK, as well as making antisemitic comments.

She has been arrested four times since October on suspicious of malicious communication and for inciting racial hatred. Dr Aladwan is also the subject of an investigation by the General Medical Council.

Her social media posts have referred to Israelis as ‘worse than Nazis’ and Britain’s Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis as ‘Rabbi Genocide’. She also claimed the wide media attention following the Manchester synagogue attack, in which two men died and others were injured, was an example of ‘Jewish supremacism’.

Just hours before her fourth arrest, Dr Aladwan referred to a female Palestinian suicide bomber and her son, who grew up to become a Hamas October 7 terrorist, as ‘martyrs’.

The British-Palestinian doctor appeared at her medical tribunal wearing a necklace with a gold number seven charm, and a second charm inlaid with green tourmaline – the birthstone for October. She has previously shared photographs of the charms online, describing them as ‘celebratory jewellery’.

Dr Aladwan has defended the AZM’s Instagram post, saying: ‘There is nothing unlawful about being unapologetically pro-armed resistance.’

The panel also included Professor David Miller, who was sacked by the University of Bristol in 2021 for alleged anti-Semitism.

Jewish students had complained he made them feel ‘uncomfortable and intimidated’ with a series of remarks he made while in post as a sociology lecturer.

The first was made in 2019 after he gave a lecture describing the ‘Zionist movement’ as one of the ‘five pillars of Islamophobia’.

On the Electronic Intifada website, he also wrote: ‘There is a real question of abuse here, of Jewish students on British campuses being used as political pawns by a violent, racist foreign regime engaged in ethnic cleansing.’

Academic Mr Miller was sacked by the University of Bristol in 2021 over alleged antisemitic views. An employment tribunal later found that he was unfairly dismissed.

Last night, West Midlands Police confirmed a second arrest was made at the event. A 42-year-old man was detained after a member of the public observing the event claimed he had been threatened.

An investigation has also been launched into a social media post which had been used to advertise the event.

‘Before and during today’s operation, we listened to and updated key stakeholders, including members of the local Jewish community,’ the police statement added.