UK: Prosecutors drop charges against SOAS students over Palestine protest
Prosecutors have dropped charges against two students accused of assaulting emergency workers during an encampment for Palestine at a London university.
Three students from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) appeared at Wood Green Crown Court on Tuesday after being arrested in July following a confrontation on campus between pro-Israel and pro-Palestine activists.
But the Crown Prosecution Service told the court that it had decided to drop charges against two of the students, Haya Adam and Zaki Ali.
The CPS dropped charges against Adam due to insufficient evidence and said it intended to remit the charge against Ali of obstructing a police officer to a magistrate's court later this month.
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Ebru Gul, meanwhile, pleaded not guilty to the charge of assaulting an emergency worker and told the court she was acting in self-defence.
The court set a date of 2 March 2026 for Gul's trial. Bail conditions set by the court included a ban on being in the Westminster area.
Tuesday’s charges relate to an incident that took place in July when pro-Palestine activists said pro-Israeli activists attacked their encampment for Palestine at SOAS.
Police arrested seven people from the encampment in central London during the incident
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