Mahmoud and Faten Ismail at Cafe Metro

PUBLIC support for Palestine is being wrongly censored by Islington Council, it was claimed this week.

The Tribune was told tenants and business owners displaying Palestine flags have been told by council officers that they are “inflammatory” and to take them down, even though there is no law against showing national flags on private property.

Cafe Metro in Archway said it was visited by two council officers in August and told to take down the flags, merchandise and stickers which call for a boycott of Israeli products.

Mahmoud and Faten Ismail, who are Palestinian and have lived in Islington for 40 years, have since complained to the council – including to Town Hall chief executive Victoria Lawson and council leader Una O’Halloran.

Ms Ismail said: “We felt extremely frustrated. The council’s official response, which attempted to downplay the event, added to our frustration and anger, as it failed to acknowledge the stress and intimidation we experienced.”

CCTV at the cafe shows the officials visiting on August 8.

When Mr Ismail refused to remove the flags inside and outside, the officers said they would “compromise” – and that he only needed to take down the flags ­outside. They warned enforcement action would be taken against him if the cafe did not comply.

The couple complained to the council on August 15 and were told there would be an internal investigation but Islington’s response gave a different account of the incident, saying the officers had only come into Cafe Metro to ask if Palestinian flags and stickers outside were there with the owner’s permission. When Mr Ismail confirmed that they were, the officers left, according to the council’s version.

Mr Ismail said: “Why would we complain if it didn’t happen? It’s insulting.”

Ms Ismail said: “We feel we were treated differently compared to other businesses that freely display their national flags, like Greek or Italian shops. While those flags are celebrated as part of cultural diversity, the Palestinian flag was treated as a potential threat or violation.”

The couple say they were visited by two council officers (above) in August

The officers’ visit came with tens of thousands of people dying in Gaza amid the relentless Israeli attacks which have followed the October 7 atrocity conducted by Hamas in 2023. The two-year anniversary passed this week with ongoing demands for hostages to be returned, and a peace deal has since been agreed. It has been estimated more than 18,000 children are among the dead in Gaza and 92 per cent of homes have been destroyed.

“Every day brings news of lost loved ones,” Ms Ismail added. “Raising the flags in our café is an act of daily resilience and public declaration – a clear message that Palestinians still exist and that their heritage and identity cannot be erased. We see this as the least we can do for our country, to express solidarity with our people.”

Mr and Ms Ismail said they hoped talking about their case would stop the council repeating “inappropriate” behaviour against other businesses supporting Palestine. They are seeking an apology too.

Islington has also been criticised for its response to an incident in July when a resident in Clerkenwell said he leaned out of his window to intervene as two people launched a racist tirade against his neighbour, who displays both a Pride flag and a Palestinian flag in their window.

Martin Murray said he was shocked by the Town Hall’s response when he reported it.

An email seen by the Tribune said: “Islington Council does not advocate the display of symbols that could be seen as inflammatory. In the current political climate displaying a Palestine flag could easily be misinterpreted and invite a negative response.”

It added that the Pride flag was a “different matter”, as it spreads a “positive message about universal acceptance of protected characteristics”.

Mr Murray said: “I was very unhappy about that. The council has not found the Ukrainian flag provocative, so to say that about the Palestinian flag is unacceptable.”

Like Mr and Ms Ismail, Mr Murray said the council must do more to make clear to staff what is allowed and what is not when it comes to displaying flags.

“It’s a very different thing from the people putting up St George’s flags on lampposts,” he said.

“Lampposts are council property, and you have to have permission to put things up on them, whereas our flats – they’re our homes, so we have every right to put flags out.

Palestine flag above the cafe

“I also think there is a big difference in the purpose of them. The purpose of the Palestinian flag is to support people who are victims of genocide. The St George’s flags that have been put up are part of this move to intimidate and harass asylum seekers.”

Green councillor Benali Hamdache told the Tribune he was concerned about the council’s approach to residents expressing support for Palestinian people. “I think it’s a deeply human response to want to speak the truth and bear testimony to the atrocities we’re seeing in Gaza,” he said.

“The council has to be able to balance the right for residents to say that, without retaliation and without censorship.”

He said he believed the council was fearful of legal action from pro-Israel organisations.

“I can’t help but feel like it’s another manifestation of cuts to the council,” he said.

“I think it has created a culture of erring on the side of restricting people’s freedom of expression rather than trying to facilitate it. I think we have to be bolder about allowing people to speak the truth.”

The Jewish Chronicle reported in August that lawyers had complained to the council on behalf of “often Jewish” passers-by, about pro-Palestine stickers on a council-owned fruit kiosk opposite Cafe Metro in Archway – and this was promoting a political cause which needed planning permission. Islington responded to the report by saying it was not advertising but needed to be removed as “litter”.

Councillor Santiago Bell-Bradford, Islington’s deputy leader, said yesterday (Thursday): “Islington is a proud borough of Sanctuary, a beacon of tolerance and diversity that welcomes people from all over the world.

“We also have a proud history of supporting human rights, international solidarity, and have recently proposed to be twinned with the East Jerusalem town of Aizariyeh.

“As a council, our policy has always been that market stalls must be free from litter, which includes stickers. The council issued this guidance to all stall holders and – for the avoidance of doubt –
no stallholder was singled out, nor was the content of any sticker references.

“The council supports solidarity with Palestine, and we do not consider the display of Palestinian flags to be an issue.

“We support the rights of Islington residents to show support for international causes, and that is exactly what we have done in these instances.”