Linda Bellos was reported to police over alleged threat made on camera in York

But it was dropped and transgender rights activists brought private prosecution

Bellos and Rose Venice Allen have asked CPS to take over and discontinue case

Bellos, of Norfolk, is Labour activist and vocal opponent of transgender reforms

Labour activist Linda Bellos speaks outside Westminster Magistrates' Court today

A black Jewish feminist lesbian could face a trial because she told a rally audience she would 'thump' any trans activists that came near her.

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Linda Bellos was reported to police over the alleged threat made on camera at a 'We Need To Talk About The GRA' (Gender Recognition Act) event in York.

Bellos, 67, of Bixley, Norfolk, is a Labour activist, former leader of Lambeth Borough Council and a vocal opponent of transgender reforms.

She allegedly said on November 8 last year: 'Having born two children I think I'm physiologically, and in many other senses, a female and a woman.

'But I play football and I box, and if any one of those b******s comes near me I will take off my glasses and thump them.

'I am quite prepared to threaten violence because it seems to me politically what they are seeking to do is p*** on women.'

However, the matter was dropped and a private prosecution was launched by transgender rights supporters.

Giuliana Kendal, an openly transgender woman, appeared at the preliminary hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court today to prosecute the matter.

A date was set for the next hearing involving Bellos and Rose Venice Allen, 43, who is accused of sending an offensive message under the Communications Act at the same event.

Protesters outside the court today where Bellos was being prosecuted. Around 100 supporters came to greet the pair, with more watching the hearing in the public gallery

But Amanda Jones, defending the pair, said her clients have asked the Crown Prosecution Service to take over and discontinue the case.

The pair appeared in the dock together, with Bellos sporting a pocket handkerchief in the colours of the Suffragette movement.

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It became the subject of controversy as Ms Kendal made an application for the emblem to be removed - along with a woman in the public gallery who wore a T-shirt with the slogan: 'Woman equals adult human female'.

The slogan refers to a poster commissioned by feminist Posie Parker in Liverpool that alludes to gender being 'immutable'.

Ms Kendal said: 'The person at the back in the public gallery is wearing a T-shirt that says "woman equals adult human", and the defendant Ms Bellos is wearing a Suffragette coloured square.

Bellos is pictured at Labour Party Conference in Brighton in October 1987 when she was the leader of Lambeth Council

'The T-shirt is a highly political emblem from an organisation called Standing For Women.

'It's brazen in committing contempt of court and accusing me, the prosecutor, left right and centre. More to the point it's also obviously and clearly a breach of the Equality Act.

100 supporters greet pair and sport T-shirts with feminist slogans Linda Bellos and Rose Venice Allen were met with applause and chants as they left the court hearing today. Around 100 supporters came to greet the pair, with more watching the hearing in the public gallery. Many sported T-shirts with feminist slogans. More held banners and signs saying: 'Women don't have penises' and 'No Self ID' along with the Posie Parker slogan: 'Woman: adult human female'. But only a handful of transgender supporters attended, with one saying: 'The trans community made a conscious decision not to attend.' In a statement to the press, Bellos and Allen said: 'The judge refused to add additional charges today. 'The judge refused an application to remove a Suffragette pocket square from one of the defendants and a female in the public gallery wearing a T-shirt that said "woman equals adult human female". 'The case has been adjourned for the CPS to consider whether to take over the case and discontinue it. And the issue of whether the summons should have been issued is re-opened. And we have reserved the option of a judicial review.' Bellos told reporters: 'I'm celebrating women getting the vote. A person who has such limited understanding, it's offensive that somebody should oppose it.' The activist also complained abut being locked in the dock. She said: 'I don't know quite what threat we represent but I was actually disgusted at being locked in a space. As a black woman I do expect that (people will think) I will pose some kind of specific threat.' Bellos said she had only ever faced criminal proceedings before in the 1980s, when a charge of obstruction was dropped after she 'argued with a policeman' at a protest against pornography outside a sex shop on Tottenham Court Road in London. Two trans-men and one trans-woman held a lone transgender flag outside court after the crowds dispersed to the pub. Vicky Jane, from Brighton, said: 'It was just a preliminary hearing, the charges were agreed and it's been adjourned until a later date. 'Giuliana made some objections to people in the court wearing things that had a particular statement which I agreed with. I'm surprised as I didn't take my transgender flag in so I don't think they should be allowed to take in their T-shirts. 'The pocket square was a bit of a red herring, you couldn't object to that but the T-shirts that say "woman equals adult human female" - is offensive. 'The trans community made a conscious decision not to attend. The trans community decided it wasn't a safe place to be. 'These people we would call anti-trans activists. We never engage with them. The term Terf (Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist) is a slur word these days and we don't use that.' Transgender supporter Callum Henderson said that the trio were not 'being brave' but had come to support Ms Kendal, who he said he had met on social media. He said: 'I don't know her well but I have spoken to her a few times on social media. I run a group called TransPals in South London. 'We are going to a protest later against the NHS's two-year waiting list for people with gender dysphoria to see a doctor. We are trying to live our lives. We are trying to be good people.'

'I say that because the offensiveness of the T-shirt and the offensiveness of the campaign is to deny me as a trans woman. It's an abuse.'

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District Judge Richard Blake said: 'People are free to wear what they want.

'If somebody does wear things in court which are identified and do amount to an offence - and I'm not going to specify what that might be - but in this case I'm not satisfied the case is made for people to remove things in court.

'I'm not satisfied that amounts to an offence. This case clearly reflects issues within the community of different sections of the community.

'I do urge everyone to identify with the case and not use it as an opportunity to further causes that they passionately support. I say that in the in the most negative of ways.

'I think it would be helpful to take our minds to the issues that are before us. I understand the sincerity of the application, I do remark this caution - I urge everybody to be cautious.'

Ms Jones said Bellos and Allen are reserving their rights to also take their case to judicial review - and will be making an application to withdraw the court summonses that were granted without their notice in July this year.

She said: 'On behalf of both defendants we have already contacted the CPS and will be asking them to take over and discontinue the prosecution.

'That's a matter that's already in hand. On that basis it's appropriate the CPS be given a proper chance to exercise its rights and discontinue.

'Given that a great deal more material has been received and that the summons was made without notice - the defendant's are applying to have July 27 hearing re-opened to see if that summons should appropriately have been issued.

'They are also reserving the right to a judicial review to issue the summons.'

During the hearing Ms Kendal also made an application to add a further charge to the indictment in respect of Allen.

It is believed the prosecutor wanted to charge Allen with an additional count of malicious communication.

It was thrown out because it was not made in time after the information was laid before the court back in July - and the charge was not raised then.

Ms Kendal said: 'We are not talking here about the York event, that's on the subject of the summons of court.

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'The prosecution's case is that there is a long history of abuse of trans women in particular by Ms Allen against the community as a whole, against individuals and against me in particular.

'Part of that in relation to Ms Allen is the We Need To Talk event on November 8, 2017, the summons as currently stands has details Ms Allen was responsible for broadcasting that event.

'The abuse is a fundamental aspect of the prosecution's case. What I'm saying is that the November event was part of a campaign.

'The event on November 8 is a pivotal moment. Following that event there was a whole series of events concluding with an event on March 14 in the House of Commons.'

Bellos is charged with one count of using threatening abusive or insulting words.

Allen, of London, is charged with one count of sending an offensive message by a public electronic communications network.

Bellos has previously said that her remarks were in response to the assault of a radical feminist by a transgender activist at a rally in London's Hyde Park last September and that she was speaking about self-defence.

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She is on the record as opposing the inclusion of transgender candidates on all-women shortlists.