Police question Holocaust survivor for laying flowers at Gaza genocide’ protest

An elderly Holocaust survivor has been questioned by police after he laid flowers at Trafalgar Square during a Gaza protest to commemorate the tens of thousands of Palestinians killed in the Israel-Hamas war.

- TARA COBHAM

Stephen Kapos, 87, was interviewed by the Metropolitan Police on Friday about the pro-Palestine protest on 18 January in central London – a demonstration the force faced accusations of “repressive and heavy-handed policing” over at the time. Mr Kapos lived in hiding under the Nazi regime as a child in Budapest, Hungary, after he lost touch with his mother, and his father was taken to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.

He is among nine people who have been called in by the Met for questioning after 77 people were arrested on the day of the protest. So far, 21 people have since been charged. Speaking outside Charing Cross Police Station following his interview on Friday afternoon, Mr Kapos told The Independent he planned to continue marching for peace in Gaza, describing how “proud” he is that his family, including his son and grandchildren, also join him. He said he wanted to disprove claims that “there is solid support from all Jews towards what's going on”.

Mr Kapos spoke surrounded by around 100 supporters, a number of whom were either Holocaust survivors or descendants of them. A banner reading “Holocaust survivor descendants against Gaza genocide!” was one of the signs being held up, while chants such as “We are all Palestinians” were called out by the crowd.