Three men are on trial at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court accused of tearing down and burning two Union Jack flags outside The Fox pub in Twickenham on 23 October 2023. The prosecution alleges the incident, which occurred just over two weeks after the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and subsequent outbreak of the Gaza conflict, constitutes an attack on the British people and is therefore racially-aggravated criminal damage. The defendants—Zaid Sami (21) and Nour Sami (20), both from Feltham, and Omar Sukkar (21) from Isleworth—all deny the charge.

Court proceedings heard that the four men removed the flags from their poles and set them alight in a nearby alleyway, shouting 'Allahu Akbar', 'Free Palestine' and other slogans. CCTV evidence captured the removal and burning, whilst the pub landlord, Paul Brace, testified that he witnessed the incident and heard the shouts but chose not to intervene. A fourth suspect escaped before police arrived and detained the three defendants, who continued to make comments about Gaza and Israel whilst in custody. The pub landlord described the Union flags as a source of pride and an important symbol for the street.