Support Fliss: Challenge repression against Palestine solidarity
Support Fliss: Challenge repression against Palestine solidarity
Latest: April 20, 2026
Hearing to take place after local elections
Dear Friends and Supporters,
Thank you all so much for your kind donation to Cllor Fliss Premru’s legal defence fund.
We now have a barrister in place from Doughty Street Chambers looking at the cas…
Read moreFliss Premru is the Hackney Independent Socialist councillor for Clissold ward, Hackney.
Fliss has campaigned for Hackney Council to divest over £100million from companies complicit in Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
"No one should be shut down in public office for speaking against Israel's crimes."
At a public Council meeting in July 2025, Fliss urged the council to review the legal implications of investing in companies complicit in a genocide in Gaza and said that the council had received advice from ‘Israel-friendly lawyers’. The council has received advice from UK Lawyers for Israel (UK) amongst others in regards to divestment. Following complaints filed by Labour councillors, she has now been accused of anti-semitism for the term ‘Israel-friendly lawyers’.
Donate now! Support Fliss to challenge this attack on free speech and repression against Palestine solidarity.
We are raising £5,000 initially to ensure that our legal team has the funds it requires to put the best case forward to the Council and challenge any accusation of antisemitism.
Background
Local residents, trade unions and pension scheme members, Palestine solidarity groups, Hackney Divest Camp, alongside the Hackney Independent Socialist Collective and the Hackney Greens have campaigned for Hackney Council’s pension fund to divest from arms and technology companies complicit in Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
In 2024, Hackney Council heard from a deputation led by Palestine Solidarity Campaign in favour of divestment. A counter-deputation was organised by Hackney Friends of Israel, represented by, Jonathan Turner, CEO of UKLFI, who spoke on their behalf.
Fliss has regularly raised the demands and need to divest at subsequent Pensions Committee meetings, but she has frequently been shut down on the issue.
In July 2025, Fliss spoke out again at a Full Council meeting highlighting the Pensions Committee’s delay to commit to divestment, especially in light of the Council’s obligations under international law. She urged the Council to urgently “look at the risk of continuing to fund arms sales to kill children in a genocide in Israel.”
She also referenced that “there has been legal advice from lawyers currently but those lawyers are very Israel friendly”. This tracks with the well-documented activity of UKLFI, a legal organisation that routinely attacks solidarity with Palestine and oppose local authority divestment campaigns.
What is the issue?
Three Labour councillors complained about Fliss’ remarks, accusing her of sowing disunity, making dangerous comments and breaching the IHRA definition of antisemitism.
Fliss now faces a choice: accept the accusations that her statement was antisemitic and apologise publicly; or, face disciplinary proceedings.
What are we doing about it?
Fliss’ legal team are working to prepare a challenge against these allegations and ultimately, to protect against anyone speaking out for Palestine - be it an elected official or a local resident.
Hackney Council commissioned external legal services to investigate and report on this issue. We need to raise money to help Fliss have appropriate representation and to make sure her right to speak about Palestine is protected.
Where will my money go?
All funds raised will go towards defending Fliss. If you’d like further information about the case or have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch at [email protected]
Thank you for your support.
Public Interest Law Centre
April 20, 2026
Hearing to take place after local elections
Dear Friends and Supporters,
Thank you all so much for your kind donation to Cllor Fliss Premru’s legal defence fund.
We now have a barrister in place from Doughty Street Chambers looking at the case, and we are raring to go.
We made representations to Hackney Council on three separate occasions, proposing dates for the Standards Sub-Committee hearing. That hearing would be open to our oral and written submissions on behalf of Fliss and would hear evidence from those who made the complaint against her. Our intention, shared by Fliss, was to ensure that this matter could be resolved before the upcoming local elections.
However, on Tuesday 14 April 2026, the Council informed us that a meeting of the Standards Sub-Committee cannot be convened before the local elections, due on the 7th May 2026. We are naturally very disappointed by this position. It had been our clear preference to have this issue determined in advance of the elections, given both its seriousness and the wider implications for democratic accountability and the right to speak out on Palestine.
We remain committed to ensuring that Fliss is properly represented and that her right, and the right of others, to raise concerns about Palestine without intimidation or censorship is robustly defended. After the elections, we will review the situation carefully and, if necessary, press for the hearing to take place without further delay.
We would kindly ask that you continue to share the link to the CrowdJustice page with friends, family and comrades. We will be in touch again after the local election in Hackney is over.
Paul Heron, solicitor on behalf of the PILC legal team
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