Trial date set for Black Lives Matter march organiser accused of fraud

Xahra Saleem pleaded not guilty to both charges on 3 January

A trial date has been set for an organiser of a Black Lives Matter demonstration who is charged with two counts of fraud.

Xahra Saleem, 22, set up fundraising pages for a march where the statue of a slave trader was thrown into Bristol Harbour on 7 June 2020.

One page raised tens of thousands of pounds, but it is alleged excess funds went to Ms Saleem, instead of charity.

She denies the charges and will appear at Bristol Crown Court on 11 December.

Ms Saleem, of Briars Walk, Romford, East London, is accused of setting up two crowdfunding pages, one of which was supposed to raise money for face masks and equipment to help facilitate the march during the Covid-19 pandemic.

An Edward Colston statue was thrown into Bristol Harbour on 7 June

An agreement is said to have been made that any excess funds would go to Bristol-based charity Changing Your Mindset Ltd.

The page raised tens of thousands of pounds after the protest but it is alleged none of the money arrived with the charity.

After the protest took place, several people were arrested and faced charges relating to lockdown rules being broken and the statue being toppled.

Ms Saleem is said to have set up a second fundraising page to help pay their legal costs, and again, those funds are alleged to have not been handed over.

She is alleged to have carried out the offences between 23 June 2020 and 22 September 2021 while in Swindon.

Ms Saleem entered not guilty pleas to the charges and remains on bail.

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