People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll has condemned the conviction of four Derry Palestine solidarity activists, including People Before Profit and Derry IPSC members Goretti Horgan and Nina Pulis, for taking part in a protest procession in February 2024.
Carroll said:
"The judge himself described the procession as 'peaceful and brief' and said those taking part were expressing legitimate political views. That these charges were ever brought, let alone pursued for months through the courts, is a disgrace.
"These activists made no apologies for taking a stand against war crimes. They were absolutely right to challenge these charges, defend the right to protest genocide and oppose the criminalisation of Palestine solidarity. If peaceful, legitimate protest can still result in a conviction, the legislation is clearly not fit for purpose.”
"Millions of people across the world have stood up against Israel's genocidal war on the Palestinian people and challenged the western governments complicit in it. The British establishment's response has been to try to criminalise that movement to hide its own complicity. Those responsible for the mass slaughter of Palestinian children, including those funding it, should be the ones facing charges - not the movement trying to stop it.”
"People Before Profit will keep demanding a full political, economic, military and cultural boycott of the Israeli state, and we will keep taking to the streets until this genocide is stopped."