Suspended Labour councillor Ricky Jones charged with encouraging violent disorder and remanded in custody

9 August 2024, 14:27 | Updated: 9 August 2024, 18:38

Suspended Labour councillor Ricky Jones has been charged with encouraging violent disorder.

Jones, 57, was filmed addressing a crowd of anti-racism demonstrators in Walthamstow on Wednesday 7 August where he seemingly called for violence against far-right protestors.

Jaswant Narwal, Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS London North, said: “The Crown Prosecution Service has authorised the Metropolitan Police to charge Ricky Jones, 57, with one count of encouraging violent disorder."

He appeared in court on Friday, where judge Tan Ikram told him: "It is alleged that using a microphone you addressed a crowd at an anti-fascist protest and, talking about others you described as 'disgusting Nazi fascists', you said 'we need to cut their throats and get rid of them'."

He was remanded in custody until a pre-trial preparation hearing on September 6.

The Dartford councillor was suspended from the Labour Party on Thursday.

Following his suspension, police said: "Officers have arrested a man aged in his 50s at an address in South East London.

"He was held on suspicion of encouraging murder and for an offence under the Public Order Act. He is in custody at a south London police station."

Standing in a crowd, Mr Jones could be seen to seemingly swiping at his neck in an apparent throat-cutting gesture while making the comments.

“This behaviour is completely unacceptable and it will not be tolerated," Labour said in a statement on Thursday.

Mr Jones also appeared to be applauded by a representative from human rights organisation Amnesty International in the footage.

An Amnesty International UK spokesperson told LBC in response that the activist was "distracted" while clapping and didn't hear what Mr Jones had said.

The spokesperson said: "Members and supporters of Amnesty UK attended yesterday’s mass anti-racism rally in Walthamstow.

"The activist in the video has made clear to us that they were distracted and hadn’t heard the speaker’s comments when they applauded generally with the crowd.

"The speaker at the event is not affiliated with Amnesty and we strongly oppose violence and any kind of hateful speech."

Labour MP for Norwich South Clive Lewis also condemned the comments.

Speaking to Vanessa Feltz on LBC, he said: "It's wrong, completely wrong, these were non-violent protests.

"To turn up to a non-violent protest and use the language of violence, death and murder...a terrible thing to say."

Immigration centres and lawyers' offices were anticipated to be the main focus of the protests on Wednesday night, as shops boarded up ahead of a further night of violence.

Instead, anti-racism protestors turned out across the country.

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