Criminal damage charges against a University of Sheffield student who was arrested during a peaceful protest outside the Town Hall have been dropped.
The student, who wishes to remain anonymous, was taken into police custody after spray painting the words ‘Free Gaza’ onto the Town Hall building.
The charges were eventually dropped after a series of delayed court hearings, with the process slowed due to complications, recognised by the prosecution, around the laws of free speech and the right to peaceful protest.
After the prosecution dropped the case the student said; “Massive relief to have my charges dropped but the fact I got charged in the first place is illuminating as to how the justice system works’’.
South Africa have recently taken to the UN’s International Court of Justice accusing Israel of committing genocide in their military campaign in Gaza.
When he was initially arrested on the 1st of November, the day of the City council’s ceasefire motion vote, the student was in police custody for 9 hours and was made to wear prison overalls before being released at midnight.
His first plea hearing was adjourned to allow for the prosecution to review human rights arguments, and the case was dropped before the next hearing.
At the hearing in December, a group of peaceful protesters gathered outside the Magistrate Court to voice their opposition to the charges.
According to the Crown Prosecution Service the maximum penalty for criminal damage, if found guilty after trial, is 10 years imprisonment.
Despite many ‘graffiti’ cases resulting in limited damage in Sheffield often garnering merely a caution, this was taken further with the student in question given his court hearing date when he was released from police custody.
The University of Sheffield’s Palestine Society have been approached for comment.
