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By Newzyy Staff — 5h ago
Led By Donkeys has received £27,216 in compensation after a giant banner seized by Greater London Authority officials was destroyed. The banner, displayed in Parliament Square in December 2024, bore the message "Yes It's A Genocide" during a protest against Israeli actions in Gaza.
The banner, measuring 40 metres by 40 metres, was removed by GLA representatives just over a year after the 7 October 2023 attacks by Hamas. Led By Donkeys, the group which had displayed the banner, reported that its 19-month campaign to demand the banner's return was met with refusals before GLA confirmed it had been given to Veolia, the company responsible for its destruction.
After a demand for compensation was made, Veolia agreed to cover the costs of the banner and its production, £27,216 in total. Ben Stewart, co-founder of Led By Donkeys, stated that the pursuit of compensation was a matter of defending the right to protest and express dissent in Britain.
The Parliament Square banner had been the subject of controversy after GLA officials seized and destroyed it. The incident has raised concerns about restrictions on freedom of expression and the differing treatment of Palestine protests in Britain compared to other forms of activism.
A 2024 report by the UN independent international commission of inquiry had concluded that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza, stating that its officials had deliberately targeted Palestinian children. These findings have been corroborated by a significant body of research from legal and rights experts worldwide, including UN investigators and human rights bodies.