The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has defended the controversial arrest of two women, including a 72-year-old pensioner, during a pro-Palestinian protest in Belfast city centre. The arrests, which took place outside a Barclays Bank branch on Castle Place, have sparked a fresh wave of criticism and renewed calls for the protection of civil liberties.
The incident occurred during a protest targeting Barclays over its alleged investments in companies linked to the Israeli military. Sue Pentel, a 72-year-old member of Jews for Palestine Ireland, and another woman in her 50s, were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage after protest stickers were placed on an ATM.
Both women were released later the same day pending further investigation by the Public Prosecution Service.
PSNI Says Actions Were ‘Lawful and Proportionate’
Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson told BBC Radio Ulster’s The Nolan Show that the PSNI had reviewed body-worn camera footage and found the officers’ conduct to be “lawful and proportionate.”
Henderson said police had responded to an emergency call from the city centre business. “Our officers acted with courtesy and professionalism. Their actions were appropriate to the situation they encountered,” he said.
Balancing Protest Rights with Public Order
While reaffirming the PSNI’s commitment to upholding the right to free speech and peaceful assembly, Henderson stressed that these rights must be balanced with public safety and the prevention of crime.
The arrests triggered a secondary protest outside Musgrave Street PSNI station, with demonstrators voicing anger over what they see as criminalisation of peaceful protest.
Legal and Human Rights Concerns Raised
Pentel’s solicitor, Pádraig Ó Muirigh, stated that his client was peacefully protesting and had committed no crime. “She should not be criminalised for exercising her right to protest against atrocities in Gaza,” he said, promising to challenge any legal action taken against her.
Amnesty International UK’s Northern Ireland director, Patrick Corrigan, also criticised the arrests, arguing that symbolic acts like placing a sticker are protected under the right to protest. “When you arrest people for a sticker, you lose all sense of balance,” he said.
Corrigan added that peaceful protest is a cornerstone of democracy—even if it causes a minor public nuisance—and urged the police to focus on protecting those rights rather than punishing non-violent demonstrators.
