A suspended Labour councillor accused of encouraging violent disorder during an anti-racism rally in London has been acquitted after a jury took just over 30 minutes to deliver its verdict.
Ricky Jones, 58, was on trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court for comments made on 7 August last year at a counter-demonstration in Walthamstow, organised in response to far-right protests following the Southport murders.
Video footage from the rally showed Jones referring to far-right activists as “disgusting Nazi fascists” before saying: “We need to cut all their throats and get rid of them all.” He was also seen making a throat-slitting gesture.
Jones, who was suspended from the Labour Party after the incident, was arrested the following day and interviewed by police. At the time, he was also working as a full-time official for the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) union.
The case sparked political controversy, with some Conservative and Reform UK figures claiming the acquittal reflected a “two-tier” justice system. Despite the uproar, jurors found Jones not guilty of encouraging violent disorder.