MLAs discuss arrest of Palestine activists for allegedly putting stickers on bank ATM

By Rebecca Black, PA

Peaceful protest should not be “criminalised”, the Northern Assembly has heard.

Stormont Opposition Leader Matthew O’Toole was speaking following the arrest of two protesters in Belfast on Saturday.

Sue Pentel, a high-profile campaigner against Israel’s military offensive in the Gaza Strip, was one of two women detained by officers on suspicion of criminal damage.

Videos circulated online of the arrest of the 72-year-old indicate the alleged offence related to the placing of stickers on a bank’s ATM machine.

Ms Pentel and the other woman who was arrested, who is in her 50s, were released later on Saturday pending a report to the North’s Public Prosecution Service (PPS).

Mr O’Toole mentioned the arrests during ’ Statements in the Assembly on Tuesday morning.

However Stormont Speaker Edwin Poots warned MLAs against “second-guessing” police.

Mr O’Toole told MLAs: “It’s important to say there is no more profound right in a democracy than peaceful protest.

“Over the weekend we saw dozens more innocent people lose their lives in Gaza as a result of the bombardment by the Netanyahu regime. We are witnessing an ongoing genocide in Gaza.

“People from all over this region, from all backgrounds, all ages, all perspectives are completely, frankly, in disbelief at what they see on their screens. They want some form of ing protest, dissent and challenging what is happening in the Middle East.

“One means is through peaceful protest.

“One of the people who was arrested is a woman named Sue Pentel, who is in her 70s. She also just happens to be Jewish. She will be known to people here because she is often here, peacefully and respectfully engaging with MLAs on her views in relation to the Middle East.”

He went on: “I understand that the PSNI has a difficult job to do.

“I don’t trivialise the fact that in fast-moving situations sometimes there are judgments that have to be made by police officers, but I don’t think anybody, certainly not the dozens and dozens of my constituents who are, frankly, appalled by what’s happening in Gaza, who have emailed me in the last few days to say ‘What the hell is going on in our society whenever a peaceful protest is met with arrests of pensioners?’

“Peaceful protest in Belfast city centre, even if it is a minor convenience, is not something which should be criminalised.

“That is legitimate peaceful protest and, yes, I respect that police officers have a job to do in all these circumstances, but let’s please be proportionate and respect the rights of ordinary people to dissent and protest.”

Mr Poots urged caution on comments around live investigations: “I just want to make it very clear that the police have a role to do, and it’s not our place to be second-guessing that role.

“There are a number of matters of the day and urgent questions that were put in that related to different events that have taken place, questioning police, and I think that we need to be very, very careful whenever there is a live investigation.

“This hasn’t got to the stage of there being charges, and may never get to that stage, but there is a live investigation and it’s not our role in this House to influence police decisions on investigations.

“They have to go through their course, it goes to the PPS, there is a due process to happen there, and it’s not for us to seek to influence that.

“I just caution on that issue.”