Eighteen in court after pro-Palestine protest

Eighteen people have appeared in court in connection with protests in Cardiff in June against the war in Gaza.

The 10 women and eight men are charged with offences including assaulting an emergency worker, locking on to a person to cause serious disruption to South Wales Police, obstructing an officer, wilful obstruction of the highway, and public order.

The 18, who gave addresses across south Wales, Cornwall and Hertfordshire, all deny the charges and they have all been granted unconditional bail.

They will appear at Cardiff Magistrates Court again in the New Year.

Sixteen arrests were made after a protest took place near the front desk area of Cardiff Bay police station on 4 June, according to South Wales Police.

Police said in June the arrests were made hours after a man was arrested at an earlier demonstration, involving about 50 and 60 people in central Cardiff.

The war began when Hamas-led gunmen carried out an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage

The Hamas-run health ministry claims the number of Palestinians killed in Gaza during the 14-month war between Israel and Hamas has surpassed 45,000.