Grenfell Tower: Woman allegedly made 'Jewish sacrifice' Facebook posts

A woman claimed on Facebook that Grenfell Tower fire victims were "burnt alive in a Jewish sacrifice", a court has heard.

Tahra Ahmed, 51, is accused of stirring up racial hatred on social media days after the fire in west London that claimed the lives of 72 people.

Old Bailey jurors heard Ms Ahmed allegedly made the two posts in 2017.

The 51-year-old, from Tottenham, denies two counts of stirring up racial hatred by publishing written material.

Prosecutor Hugh French told jurors: "Ms Ahmed published two posts that were virulently anti-Semitic and crossed the line as to what is acceptable in a liberal society."

'Pain and suffering'

On June 18, 2017 - four days after the Grenfell Tower fire - Ms Ahmed allegedly posted a video on Facebook of the blaze and referred to it being a "Jewish sacrifice", the Old Bailey heard.

The post allegedly stated: "I've been at the scene, at the protest and at the community meetings and have met many of the victims...some who were still in the same clothes they escaped in.

"They are very real and genuine, their pain and suffering is raw and deep and their disgusting neglect by authorities continues.

"Watch the footage of people trapped in the inferno with flames behind them.

"They were burnt alive in a Jewish sacrifice."

An earlier post in January 2017, allegedly also set out an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory.

A police investigation into Ms Ahmed's activities arose as a result of a story published in The Times newspaper in December 2017.

It focused on some of the people who attended public meetings after the Grenfell fire.

Mr French told jurors that people sometimes expressed "outspoken" or "offensive" views on social media and were entitled to their opinions.

But there was a limit, and the right to express views had to be balanced with the rights of other people, often minority communities, to live without being stigmatised or abused, he added.

The trial continues.