Two Green Party candidates for Lambeth Council, Saiqa Ali and Sabine Mairey, were arrested by the Metropolitan Police on Thursday morning in London on suspicion of stirring up racial hatred. The arrests followed online posts containing anti-Semitic content, prompting a police investigation.
Controversial Social Media Posts
Saiqa Ali is accused of sharing an image on Instagram depicting an armed man wearing a Hamas headband with the slogan “resistance is freedom.” Hamas is a proscribed terrorist organisation in the UK. Sabine Mairey allegedly posted a photo showing a placard stating “ramming a synagogue isn’t anti-Semitism, it’s revenge” along with claims about children killed by Israel, and compared Israel to Nazi Germany.
Allegations Of Hate Speech
berkshire999.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-05-05-at-12.08.06.png" alt="" width="688" height="457" srcset="https://berkshire999.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-05-05-at-12.08.06.png 530w, https://berkshire999.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-05-05-at-12.08.06-300x199.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 688px) 100vw, 688px" /> Mairey’s deleted Facebook posts reportedly included conspiracy theories claiming 9/11 was a false-flag attack by Israel and asserting Jewish over-representation in government. Another image shared displayed an offensive AI-generated caricature with hateful captions about Jews.
Police Response And Investigation
The arrests were made under Section 19 of the Public Order Act 1986. Both women, aged 57 and 54, remain in police custody. A Metropolitan Police spokesperson confirmed the investigation was launched after concerns about anti-Semitic material were reported on 21 April. 
Context And Reactions
The arrests come hours after an anti-Semitic stabbing attack in north London’s Golders Green, where two Jewish men were injured. Saiqa Ali has previously apologised for her remarks, rejecting anti-Semitism and emphasising her concern for the humanitarian situation in the Middle East. The Green Party declined to comment, stating the matter is now with the police.
