PPS to withdraw charges against SDLP MP Colum Eastwood over Palestine parade, court told

Defence solicitor Ciaran Shiels, acting on behalf of the 42-year-old MP, confirmed he had written to the PPS calling into question the “public interest in taking a prosecution in relation to a peaceful protest against the Israeli genocide of Palestinians".

He told Londonderry Magistrates Court as a result of that correspondence, the PPS were content to withdraw the charge and proceed by way of a “diversionary disposal” against Mr Eastwood and three of his co-defendants.

A prosecuting lawyer confirmed to District Judge Peter Magill the outstanding case against 27-year-old Forest Jude Coffey was the one remaining matter, but that representations made on his behalf are also “being carefully considered.”

The five defendants, all from Londonderry and facing the same charge of taking part in an “unnotified parade” on 14 February last year, are:

Colum Eastwood, 42, whose office is at Great James St;

Forest Jude Coffey, 27, Gartan Square;

Goretti Horgan, 69, from Westland Avenue;

Robert Paul Maxwell, 60, Rathlin Drive and

Davina Pulis, 36, from Knoxhill Avenue.

The charges stem from an “anti-genocide pro-Palestine” demonstration at the war memorial in Londonderry city centre in February 2024 when hundreds of people walked from the War Memorial to the Guildhall.

Today, the prosecutor told the judge the diversionary disposal was on condition that each of the defendants accepted it.

Although Judge Magill said he would adjourn for two weeks to see if that would happen, Mr Shiels assured him that for Mr Eastwood, “it has been sorted out.”

“He has always maintained that the purpose of the vigil was in relation to the genocide that was taking place in Palestine,” declared the solicitor.

Adjourning the case to 29 October, Judge Magill said by that stage, “we will see if there’s a way forward.”

Mr Shiels assured him, “there is definitely a way forward for Mr Eastwood.”