Contractor Paid £27,216 After Destroying Protest Banner; City Authority Faces No Penalty

London officials seized a giant Gaza protest banner in Parliament Square on 4 December 2024, then gave it to their contractor Veolia, which destroyed it. After 19 months, Veolia — not the officials — paid £27,216 compensation. Whether authorities can hand confiscated protest items to outside companies to avoid being held responsible remains unresolved.