School teacher left ‘in shock’ after investigation over pro-Palestine protest in Sainsburys
A high school teacher said she was left anxious and depressed after being investigated by her employer for protesting in support of Palestine, as a new report revealed a pattern of pressure against the case.
Sajia Iqbal, 43, said she took part in direct action at her local Sainsburys supermarket in Ilford on 5 April 2025 as part of the Redbridge Palestine Solidarity Campaign protest.
The purpose of the action was to draw attention to the boycott of Israeli goods during the country’s military operation in the Gaza Strip.
A group of about 10 people placed the products they collected from the shelves into the car with the Palestinian flag. They handed the manager a letter explaining the action and calling for the supermarket to support the boycott.
“We did not remove any product from the store and did not leave the facility with any product,” he says Independent in his first interview since the incident. “No complaints were made. The police were not called.”
Ms. Iqbal participated in the protest on her own personal time and outside of working hours, with nothing to identify her affiliation with the school.
After the protest, UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) told the school that Ms Iqbal may have committed the offense of “aggravated trespass”. He was placed under investigation as part of Beal High School’s formal disciplinary process and has since spoken out about how the ordeal took a toll on his physical and mental health.
The school found no abuse had occurred but warned him that future actions related to Palestine could trigger further action. He went on sick leave for a period and said he was later given a formal written warning about his sickness absence.
He said he was unfairly penalized for exercising his right to protest and initiated Labor Court proceedings against the school, alleging discrimination due to anti-occupation and anti-apartheid beliefs, according to the European Legal Assistance Centre, which brought the case to court.
Beacon Academy Trust told Independent: “The Foundation received a letter from the UKLFI making a number of serious allegations against Beal High School teacher Ms Iqbal. The allegations were investigated informally by the Foundation but no disciplinary action was taken against Ms Iqbal.”
His case comes as a new report by the ELSC documents 964 confirmed arrests, workplace firings, suspensions and event cancellations following expressions of support for the Palestinians.
The Repression Index covered events across the UK from January 2019 to August 2025; data shows a significant increase in incidents after October 7, 2023.
While students, academics and teachers were targeted in 336 of the incidents, activists and organizers were affected in 229 of them. Other professional groups frequently targeted for expressing their support for Palestine included public and private sector workers, as well as artists and cultural workers.
UKLFI was found to be involved in 128 complaints. Independent The group has been contacted for comment. Last year, the Public Interest Law Center (PILC) and the European Legal Support Center filed a complaint against UKLFI with the Solicitors Regulation Authority, accusing the group of sending “bad and legally unfounded” complaints. UKLFI said in a statement that the allegations were unfounded published on his website.
A UKLFI spokesman said: Independent: “Thousands of distressed individuals have approached UKLFI over the last three years and told us of examples of anti-Semitic or anti-Israeli hatred, discrimination or support for terrorism. To prevent or deter such harmful activity, we highlight where we believe such action breaches the law or professional regulations.”
“In all our work, we strive to be accurate about the facts and in our assessments of legal and regulatory consequences. We call on those who defend the rights of those who support Palestine to demonstrate tolerance and respect for the rights and beliefs of others, which will make many of our interventions unnecessary.”
Regarding the complaint against Ms Iqbal, the group said: “We understand that Ms Iqbal is the president of the Redbridge branch of the NEU, a union that encourages its members to advocate for Palestine in schools. “We have therefore warned her school to be careful if Ms Iqbal attempts to spread her partisan views to students, thereby breaching Sections 406 and 407 of the Education Act 1996, which relate to indoctrination and presenting a balanced approach to political issues.
“In addition, the Department for Education’s Teacher Standards guidance says that a teacher is expected to consistently demonstrate high standards of conduct and ethics within and outside school and maintain public confidence in the profession. “Teachers are required to demonstrate tolerance and respect for the rights and beliefs of others.
“By removing shelves full of kosher and Israeli products in a supermarket and preventing others from purchasing them, we believe that Ms. Iqbal demonstrated an intolerant attitude towards people of different faiths and beliefs, especially Jews. In our opinion, Ms. Iqbal may also have been violating her own school’s code of conduct. By committing this disruptive behavior, she was, in our view, violating her obligations as a teacher and citizen.”
Earlier this month, the group lobbied to have the word “Palestine” removed from exhibitions at the British Museum, accusing it of “obscuring the history of Israel and the Jewish people.” The word was removed by the institution because it said the name was no longer historically neutral.
Journalists and other media actors were involved in 113 news incidents opposing pro-Palestinian solidarity, while pro-Israel advocacy and legal advocacy groups were involved in a total of 141 incidents.
In 220 cases, police and security officers took action against expressions of support, while educational institutions intervened in 192 cases.
He points to allegations of extremism and antisemitism as frequently used tools in complaints.
Ms. Iqbal, whose family comes from Kashmir, which is occupied by both India and Pakistan, says she has felt personally connected to protesting Israel’s action in Palestine for years because of a trip she took to the West Bank shortly before Oct. 7. She is regularly involved in community organizing and activism, working with the National Education Association.
“I saw that children’s schools were destroyed, had no ventilation and were in makeshift rooms. Schools were raided.
“I made a promise to the Palestinian people; a promise that while I was there, I would use my voice, a powerful tool, to defend them.”
Iqbal, who was “completely shocked” by the complaints against him, began to experience “severe anxiety and stress”, which also affected him physically.
“You don’t expect this,” he says. “You defend people’s rights in a democratic way. You exercise your democratic right.”
But he says he is more determined than ever to resist.
The ELSC said the report clearly revealed a “pattern of anti-Palestinian oppression” in UK society.
