Labour councillor ‘filmed telling crowd to “cut throats” of far-right thugs’ charged with encouraging violent disorder
A SUSPENDED Labour councillor who was allegedly filmed telling a crowd to “cut throats” of far-right thugs has been charged with encouraging violent disorder.
Ricky Jones, 57, was seen addressing a large crowd at a London demonstration on Wednesday evening.
Jones – a councillor in Dartford, Kent – has since been charged with one count of encouraging violent disorder, said the Crown Prosecution Service.
Jaswant Narwal, chief crown prosecutor for CPS London North, said: “He has been arrested and charged within 48 hours, and will now appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court this afternoon, 9 August.
“We remind all concerned that criminal proceedings are active and that he has the right to a fair trial.
“It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary, or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”
He was said to have “appeared to make remarks and a gesture to encourage others to act violently towards far-right protestors”.
The Met Police confirmed yesterday that Jones had been detained in a post on X, which also included the original video.
The force said: “Officers have arrested a man aged in his 50s at an address in south-east London.
“He was held on suspicion of encouraging murder and for an offence under the Public Order Act. He is in custody at a south London police station.”
In the clip, a man tells a crowd: “They are disgusting Nazi fascists and we need to cut all their throats and get rid of them all.”
The comments refer to people involved in the riots across the UK in recent days.
Labour earlier confirmed Jones had been suspended.
A party spokesman said: “This behaviour is completely unacceptable and it will not be tolerated.
“The councillor has been suspended from the party.”