Man and woman arrested ahead of Birmingham 'anti-zionist' protest
Two people have been arrested as part of West Midlands Police's response to an anti-zionist event in Birmingham.
West Midlands Police have announced the arrest of a man and a woman as part of an operation in response to a pre-planned event in Birmingham.
The woman, aged 35, was held in the Kings Heath area of Birmingham at around 2.30pm yesterday.
Officers arrested the woman after acting on information that she was supposed to attend a launch event for the 'Anti-Zionist Movement' which took place in Balsall Heath on Sunday afternoon.
She was arrested after officers stopped the car she was travelling in, and was later detained on suspicion of inciting racial hatred.
She remains in custody today.
The woman was also wanted by the Metropolitan Police on suspicion of a Public Order Act offence, which was part of an investigation by the London force into speeches and social media posts made between May and October last year in the capital and Birmingham.
The force said that they had police present outside of the venue throughout yesterday's event.
At around 5pm, a 42-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence after a member of the public who had come to attend the event had told officers that he had been threatened.
A force spokesperson said: "A criminal investigation into a social post which had been used to advertise the event also continues.
"Before and during yesterday's operation, we listened to and updated key stakeholders, including members of the local Jewish community."
