Councillor ordered to pay hundreds after pro-Palestine protest conviction

Ted Peskett, local democracy reporter

A Cardiff city councillor has been ordered to pay hundreds of pounds after being involved in a protest that took place at a police station last year.

Cardiff Council ward member for Penylan, Cllr Imran Latif, was suspended from the Liberal Democrats group last year after he was charged with two offences following a pro-Palestine protest that took place in June 2024.

Cllr Latif, 45, pleaded guilty at a Cardiff Magistrates Court hearing on Tuesday, May 6 to locking himself to a person to cause significant disturbance.

The second charge of using threatening/abusive words/behaviour likely to cause a disturbance was dismissed after no evidence was offered.

Spontaneous protest

South Wales Police said in June 2024 that 16 people were arrested after a spontaneous protest occurred in the front desk area of Cardiff Bay Police Station at 9.30pm on June 3, 2024.

This happened just hours after another protest involving 50 to 60 protesters took place in Cardiff city centre.

At the time, it was reported that people were protesting against the war in Gaza.

The court heard how Cllr Latif entered Cardiff Bay Police Station on the evening of June 3, 2024, sat on the floor and locked himself to another protester.

Nadeem Majid of M&M Solicitors, representing Cllr Latif, said his client was not part of the protest that took place in the city centre earlier that day and that he had attended the scene at Cardiff Bay Police Station in order to find out what was going on.

The court was told by the prosecution that there was protesting at Cardiff Bay Police Station due to concerns about an individual who had been arrested at the earlier demonstration.

On the incident that saw Cllr Latif lock himself to another person at the police station, Mr Majid said his client “fully realises the foolishness” of that moment and later added that “to his credit, he has been fully transparent”.

Conditional discharge

Cllr Latif was handed an 18-month conditional discharge by District Judge Mark Layton and ordered to pay a total of £776.

A Cardiff Council spokesperson said: “A conditional discharge by a Magistrates Court does not preclude a Councillor from acting in the office of member of a Local Authority in Wales.

“In due course it will be a matter for the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales to consider whether the actions of the Councillor will meet the threshold of an investigation of a potential breach of Cardiff Council’s Members’ Code of Conduct.”

The Welsh Liberal Democrats said they will now review the incident that took place in June 2024 through their internal processes.

Mr Majid of M&M Solicitors on behalf of Cllr Latif said “the conclusion of the matter today resulting in one of the two charges laid against him being dismissed is a great weight lifted off the shoulders of Cllr Latif, who has had this matter hanging over his head for some time.

“Cllr Latif is pleased with the outcome of his case and is grateful to his legal team for their assistance and will now continue to serve his constituents in his capacity as councillor.”