A former U.S. Navy fighter pilot who fought in the Vietnam war has threatened not to pay a total of £2,300 in fines and costs after he was convicted of carrying a sign supporting Hamas at a pro-Palestine protest in Sheffield.
Michael Rabb, 77, of Boulder, Colorado, was seen carrying a sign which read “Stand With Hamas, End Israel, Free Palestine,” City of London Magistrates’ Court heard.
He was one of a crowd of about 500 pro-Palestine protesters who gathered outside Sheffield City Hall on Oct. 21, 2023.
On Tuesday, after a short trial, Rabb was found guilty of, “displaying an article, namely a sign, in such a way or in such circumstances as to arouse reasonable suspicion that he was a member or supporter of a proscribed organisation.”
District Judge Annabel Pilling told Rabb he, “served for your country you have had exemplary character.”
Hamas is a proscribed organisation under the Terrorism Act and supporting it in any way is a criminal offence.
Judge Pilling said, “it is clear that you did not appreciate that Hamas was a proscribed organisation” and she said he had been “peaceful and co-operative” during the police investigation.
She sentenced him to pay a £1,000 fine, £930 in costs and a £400 victim surcharge, and said the size of the fine was “designed to hurt.”
Warned of Contempt of Court if He Does Not Pay Fine
Judge Pilling said she accepted he had, “extremely strongly held views” on the Middle East but she warned him he would face a charge of contempt of court if he did not pay the £2,300 in full within seven days.The protest in Sheffield took place two weeks after Hamas terrorists crossed the border from the Gaza strip and attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people, on Oct. 7, 2023.
Israel responded with aerial bombardment and then a ground invasion and the Hamas-controlled health ministry claims 33,000 people have died in Gaza in the last six months.
During Tuesday’s hearing, Rabb told the court, “I am a 77-year-old U.S.A. citizen, a veteran who has served as a fighter pilot for the US Navy in Vietnam.”
He added: “I know what it is to do military actions. I have been engaged in the struggle to free Palestine for several years and participated in several missions to Palestine. I have been to Gaza and know how the people are being genocided by the state of Israel.”
“I have been in prison in Israel and deported for my activism. I’m here with you to say ‘Yes, I stand with Hamas’,” said Rabb.
“I’m here as a tourist. I’m retired, have a small military pension and social security and that is the way I live,” he added.
Prosecutor Sebastian Walker said the sign caused “distress” among organisers of the protest and he said Rabb had shown no remorse.
Mr. Walker said when a police officer approached him at the march, Rabb said: “What’s the problem? We are standing with Palestine.”
When he was told his sign was illegal, Rabb asked the officer, “It’s against the law to say this?” and then added, “No way, it cannot be.”
Cross examining Rabb in court, Mr. Walker asked, “Do you accept that to protest against Israel’s actions in the conflict, it was not necessary to specifically talk of your support for Hamas?”
Rabb replied, “I suppose you could say anything you wanted but it was critical to my stance and to the people of Palestine to support and stand with Hamas.”
“Hamas took armed resistance to the overwhelming attacks that Israel has been committing for years,” he added.
Paraglider Girls Sentenced in February
In February three women were given conditional discharges after being convicted of the same offence as Rabb.
Heba Alhayek, 29, Pauline Ankunda, 26, and Noimutu Olayinka Taiwo, 27, were convicted of carrying or displaying an article to arouse reasonable suspicion they are supporters of banned organisation Hamas, at a march through Whitehall on Oct. 14, 2023.
In their case the “article” was an image of a paraglider which were worn on their backs or stuck onto a placard. Hamas used paragliders to cross the border and mount their attacks on October 7.
It later emerged that Judge Ikram had liked pro-Palestine comments on social media.
