.png%3Ftrim%3D237%2C0%2C143%2C0%26width%3D1200%26height%3D800%26crop%3D1200%3A800&w=3840&q=100)
‘I'm on the right side of history': The east London priest risking prison time to support Palestine Action
But on Saturday, striking images of the baptist minister emerged. Swarmed by police officers and standing alone, footage shared on social media shows the moment she was arrested at the pro- Palestine march held in Parliament Square.
Wearing a black shirt and white collar, she nods and silently accepts her arrest before she is escorted away, surrounded by a sea of police uniforms.
She is one of 532 people arrested by the Metropolitan Police at the largest gathering of Palestine Action since it was proscribed as a terrorist group last month.
Of those, the 55-year-old is younger than the average age of those detained, with figures showing half were aged 60 or above. Speaking to The Independent on Monday, she said she is prepared to accept a prison sentence for her actions.
'I am aware there will be repercussions in my life if I am successfully convicted but I felt completely at peace with both my actions and my decision,' she said. 'It's the right side of history. Even if I knew I was going to prison for this I would do it.'
She said despite not taking part in previous Palestine Action protests, she was moved protest on Saturday because of her faith. 'I believe Jesus actually meant what he said and he modelled non-violent resistance to oppressive power,' she continued. 'I see myself as a minister more than an activist but I have always felt compelled by my faith to try to build a community that is built on peacemaking.'
After reading the protest briefing from Defend our Juries, who organised the demonstration, Dr Mann said she felt certain the protest would be the kind of non-violent action she feels 'committed' to be part of.
'On Saturday I got up early and went to St James' Park because I wanted to be very calm,' she told The Independent. 'I sat quietly and prayed. Then I headed over to Parliament Square.'
Dr Mann said during the main protest, though people around her had been arrested, she was not. But after the scheduled end she continued holding her placard stating: 'I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action'. Within ten minutes, she said she was arrested.
'Other people very near me had been arrested, including some who really did look very elderly and vulnerable, and I thought it would be better for them if they arrest more,' she explained. 'So I just decided to stand with my sign. I wanted to be arrested for this because I want to stand in solidarity with those who had been and I did feel the numbers mattered.'
Her arrest was captured on video - a powerful image of her nodding silently as she is escorted away by at least a dozen officers has accumulated thousands of likes on social media. 'The numbers who turned up to arrest me were extraordinary,' she said. 'I think there were a dozen officers arresting me and actually, had they asked me to walk onto the van I would've just gone on my own. I was completely ready to be arrested.'
She told The Independent she was put in a van with six police officers to two protesters and was put in line to be processed. 'It was actually very peaceful,' she said. 'It was a very low risk for me. I had moral certainty and legal ambiguity about what would happen to me, but prepared if a custodial sentence does come I am completely prepared for that. I just think it looks less and less likely now.'
But she said her arrest, along with that of elderly protestors, shows the 'absurdity' of proscribing Palestine Action as a terrorist group. 'I would say to Yvette Cooper, who do you think you're protecting by proscribing me as a terrorist?',' she said.
Also arrested under terrorist legislation was 74-year-old NHS doctor Paul O'Brien. He said the Palestinian cause was 'incredibly important' to him, but that the risk of arrest did make him think harder about attending than at previous protests.
'I thought the proscribing was really, really wrong and felt so disappointed in the majority of the MPs in Labour and the Tories for supporting it,' he said. 'But it did make me think harder about going out.'
He was also detained later in the day and described his experience as 'bizarre'. 'It was just odd, all these people who have been arrested under terrorist legislation and we looked the most unlikely terrorists,' he said. 'Half of us can hardly walk. It was quite funny. Even for a terrorist offence we were automatically bailed, they know it's so bizarre.'
He added he thought the protest would be a 'memorable' day for many. 'Once you're arrested for a terrorist offence, it's an extraordinary thing to happen in your life,' he continued. 'What happened on Saturday was historic, I think it's going to grow.'
In a statement released on Sunday, a Metropolitan Police spokesperson said the majority of the arrests made were for 'displaying an item (in this case a placard) in support of a proscribed organisation (in this case Palestine Action) contrary to Section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000'.
'Over the coming days and weeks, officers from the Met's Counter Terrorism Command will work to put together the case files required to secure charges against those arrested as part of this operation,' they added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
2 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Ex-football star JAILED for 14 years over ‘significant role' in record £2.36million crystal meth haul
Cops found 19.7kg of the Class A drug at his family home LOCKED UP Ex-football star JAILED for 14 years over 'significant role' in record £2.36million crystal meth haul Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A FORMER football star who was caught with millions of pounds worth of crystal meth has been jailed for 14 years. Michael Boateng, who began his youth career at Crystal Palace, was arrested on Valentine's Day last year after police found 19.7kg of the Class A drug in a sports bag at a flat he shared with his girlfriend and infant son. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 Michael Boateng has been jailed for 14 years for his 'significant role' in a multi-million pound crystal meth operation Credit: PA 5 Close to 20kg of the Class A substance were found in a bag at a flat he was living in with his girlfriend and two-month-old son last February Credit: PA 5 Boateng admitted to supplying crystal meth, cocaine and MDMA at Croydon Crown Court in September Credit: Alamy A court ruled he played a "significant role" in an organised crime group as the former footballer was sent down for more than a decade. The 34-year-old - who had become a successful personal trainer after his playing career, with clients including England star Jadon Sancho - admitted to supplying crystal meth, cocaine and MDMA at Croydon Crown Court in September. Boateng, donning a blue prison t-shirt and grey tracksuit bottoms, sat motionless as the judge read out his sentence. His girlfriend - who is the mum to the pair's now 18-month-old son - shook her head in disbelief as the sentence was confirmed. Croydon Crown Court head on June 20 how Boateng had been "doing well" while working as a personal trainer between 2018 and 2023. However, he was issued with an Osman Warning from the Metropolitan Police in 2022 - a warning which indicates an immediate threat to one's life. Representing the defence, Paul Crampin told the court how Boateng was informed of a "credible threat against his life". This then caused his partner at the time to "essential refuse him access to their family". After "cutting him off completely from his son", Boateng suffered from a period of stress and depression, Crampin said. He added that this led to drug use, including Class A substances, with Crampin saying he was then "involved in the small scale supply of drugs to essentially people he knew". Ex-Premier League star Ronnie Stam jailed for seven years in multi-million pound drug-smuggling probe This was done to "fund his own Class A drug habit", the defence said. Boateng was stopped by police officers in Bromley, south London, in September 2023 after acting suspiciously. He then ran from the cops down a dead-end road before a dog unit found a snap bag - which had been thrown over a garden wall - containing 19 wraps of cocaine. John Carmichael, prosecuting, told the court how a search of Boateng's flat in Croydon found 14 additional wraps of cocaine, 32 tablets of MDMA and one block of 22 grams of MDMA. The overall street value of the cocaine and MDMA stood at between £3,000 and £4,180, the court heard. Cops also found 26 bags of ketamine, with a street value of £260 to £520 and £1,570 in cash. Boateng said nothing at interview and later pleaded guilty to intent to supply cocaine and MDMA and possession of ketamine. He was granted bail on the condition he abided by a curfew and reported regularly to a police station. However, his story took a further turn after police raided the former football star's new address in Croydon - where he was living with his girlfriend and their two-month-old son - on Valentine's Day last year. A Slazenger sports bag with 19.7kg of crystal meth was found in the hallway of the property. CCTV footage also showed Boateng arriving seven days earlier, dumping the bag in the same position it was found in, after being handed the bag outside the home. The court heard that while the crystal meth had a wholesale value of between £200,000 to £400,000, its street value could range from anywhere between £1,182,000 and £2,364,000. Mr Carmichael said: "He is clearly trusted within an organisation, holding onto a significant amount of drugs." While the defence did not dispute the weight of the drugs the former footballer possessed, they argued it could not be ruled out that Boateng was not a victim of "coercion or intimidation" from organised criminals when holding onto the drugs. However, Judge Daniel Flahive told the court it was clear Boateng played a "significant role" within an organised crime group, saying this position was "not a matter of negotiation". He added: "He had some awareness and understanding of the operation. This does put him squarely in the significant book. "At the moment I can't see how this falls into a lesser role." 'YOU WERE PLAYING A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN THE DRUG DEALING ENTERPRISE' In his closing statement, Judge Flahive said: "You were playing a significant role in the drug dealing enterprise. Your role was not minimal. "The amount of drugs we are talking about, just shy of 20kg, the value at street level, we are talking potentially millions of pounds. "The reason for the 14 years will be to reflect the sheer quantity of drugs you were looking after in the period of time and reminding myself this was an offence that was committed while on bail for the earlier case. "When you are released you will be subject to licence, the licence will have conditions attached to it. You can go down now." Right back Boateng was a youth player at Crystal Palace between 2005 and 2007 before he eventually made his senior debut for Tonbridge Angels while on loan from Bristol Rovers in 2011. The star then had stints at Sutton United, Bromley, Newport County and Whitehawk before he was dismissed from the latter after being charged following a match-fixing probe in December 2013. He was sentenced to 16 months in prison in June 2014 and the following January got a lifetime ban from football. He was then jailed again in June 2015 for drug dealing. Boateng had appeared as a co-host on the podcast series "Banged Up" which explored life inside Britain's prison system. He had spoken candidly about his wish not to reoffend and stay out of trouble. 5 Boateng played a 'significant role' in an organised crime group, the court heard
The Sun
2 minutes ago
- The Sun
One in 7 high street shops now stands empty… we don't need government tweaks to a broken system – we need radical reform
OUR high streets have had a tough time in recent years — battered by a global pandemic, war, energy shocks and soaring inflation. Yet despite it all, shops have kept going — serving their communities, creating jobs, and showing remarkable resilience. 3 3 But resilience isn't a plan for growth, and nostalgia won't pay the bills. If we are serious about bringing our high streets back to life, we need to stop papering over the cracks and fix the system for good. That means a tax regime built for today, not for the 1500s — a time before supermarkets, retail parks and the internet. Right now, retail accounts for just five per cent of the UK economy but pays more than 20 per cent of all business rates. That's an immense burden and it falls most heavily on the very businesses that invest in local places, local jobs and local people. It is no wonder that there were around 100,000 fewer jobs in retail at the start of 2025 than the year before, the equivalent of losing every job in the UK steel industry three times over. Since 2015, the sector has shed around 350,000 jobs, and new research suggests another 160,000 part-time roles could vanish if costs rise further — exactly the kinds of jobs that provide flexibility to hardworking families. Physical retailers are businesses that play by the rules, open their doors every morning and form the backbone of our communities. Meanwhile, online sales have more than doubled in the past decade. Why are so many shops going bust? At the height of the pandemic, they made up 37 per cent of all retail — and while that has dipped slightly since, online is still booming. Yet the digital giants face nothing like the same tax burden, and contribute next to nothing to the Government's tax receipts that pay for the NHS, our emergency services, roads and welfare. This clearly, is not fair. The health of the high street is also a bellwether for the health of the wider economy This is a system designed for a different age. Business rates were first introduced in the 1500s, when physical property was a proxy for wealth. Today, that logic just doesn't hold. We now see a massive imbalance that punishes our local communities. To be clear, this isn't about the high street asking for a handout. It's about giving retail a fair shot. Fair deal Our sector is the UK's largest private employer — supporting three million jobs; in sales, marketing, accounting, logistics and many more. Retail has all the career disciplines needed for a growing economy. The health of the high street is also a bellwether for the health of the wider economy. When shops shut, town centres hollow out. Footfall fell by 1.7 per cent in July, and one in seven high street units now stands empty. The ripple effect has an immediate impact on the community: nearby independents see sales fall, bus routes get quieter, and the whole centre loses momentum. That affects everything from local policing and public transport to housing demand and health outcomes. The Centre for Retail Research now predicts that store closures will rise to around 17,350 this year — the highest level in more than a decade. That is nearly 50 shops a day closing their doors for good, leaving empty units, boarded windows and fewer reasons for people to visit their town centres. The loss is not just economic — it chips away at the social fabric, reducing spaces where people meet, work and spend time. Once a shop shuts, it is far harder and costlier to bring it back, meaning each closure represents a long-term wound to the health of the high street. To their credit, the current Labour government has done more than its predecessors, with proposals to support smaller stores with targeted business rates relief, which are of course welcome. But we cannot end up with just tweaks to a system that needs radical reform and reset. You can't fix a broken model with just a few sticking plasters. We need to ask a bigger question: what should a modern, fair retail tax look like? One that reflects how we all actually shop, and one that rewards investment in jobs and premises. After everything the high street has been through, asking it to carry even more weight would be the final straw for many. The Government must ensure that no shop pays more in the upcoming Autumn Budget. Retail isn't asking to be saved, it's asking for the rules to be fair. If you give the high street a fair deal, it will more than repay you — with jobs, opportunity, and of course a vibrant local community. Let's not forget that a healthy high street with tills ringing means more money into the coffers of the Treasury, giving the economy a much needed boost to growth. Theo Paphitis, TV Dragon and owner of Ryman, Robert Dyas & Boux Avenue 3
Times
2 minutes ago
- Times
Free speech blow as national library bans book opposing gender self-ID
Scotland's national library banned a book about feminists' fight against Nicola Sturgeon's gender self-ID law after staff complained its contents were 'hate speech' comparable to racism. The National Library of Scotland (NLS) has been accused of a 'shameful' capitulation to censorship after it emerged that The Women Who Wouldn't Wheesht, a collection of essays by gender-critical women, had been cut from a major exhibition celebrating the institution's centenary. Members of the public had been asked by the library, which promotes itself as a national forum for 'ideas, debate and discussion', to nominate books which had shaped their lives for inclusion in a ten-month public display intended as a 'love letter' to the power of reading. However, despite The Women Who Wouldn't Wheesht receiving double the number of nominations necessary to guarantee inclusion in the Dear Library public display, Amina Shah, Scotland's national librarian and the NLS chief executive, decided not to include the book after a staff backlash.
