
Protests held across UK supporting banned Palestine Action despite arrests
Demonstrations have been taking place on Saturday in Manchester, Edinburgh, Bristol, Truro and London as part of a campaign coordinated by Defend Our Juries, which has already seen dozens arrested.
London's Metropolitan police said 55 people have been arrested Saturday in Parliament Square for displaying placards in support of the group.
The Met police said 70 people were arrested at similar demonstrations in Parliament Square over the past two weekends, while Defend Our Juries said a total of 120 had so far been arrested across the UK.
It comes ahead of a High Court hearing on Monday in which the cofounder of Palestine Action, Huda Ammori, will ask for the green light to challenge the home secretary's decision to ban the group under 'anti-terror' laws.
The ban means that membership of, or support for, the direct action group is now a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison, under the Terrorism Act 2000, putting the group on a par with armed groups such as al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS).
Authorities have beefed up police presence in Westminster in the wake of the rallies.
A counterprotest by the pro-Israeli Stop the Hate group will also take place in London on Saturday.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan said those expressing support for Palestine Action 'will likely be committing an offence and will very likely be arrested'.
Five people appeared in court on Saturday over a Palestine Action protest at an Israeli-linked defence firm's site.
Members of the organisation, allegedly armed with sledgehammers and whips, are accused of breaking into the Elbit Systems site near Patchway, Bristol, in the early hours of August 6, 2024, 'counter-terrorism' police said.
More than 2 million pounds of damage ($2.68 million) was caused, and police officers and a security guard were assaulted, the Westminster Magistrates' Court heard.
Prosecutors claim the alleged offences had a 'terrorist connection'. The five involved were charged with aggravated burglary, criminal damage and violent disorder.
Palestine Action describes itself as 'a pro-Palestinian organisation which disrupts the arms industry in the United Kingdom with direct action'.
Since its founding in July 2020, it has carried out hundreds of protests across the UK aimed at disrupting the operations of companies they accuse of profiting from Israeli military operations, with a particular focus on the Israeli arms manufacturer, Elbit Systems.
The group's tactics typically involve breaking into facilities, chaining themselves to machinery, daubing buildings with red paint and destroying equipment.
The UK has seen hundreds of thousands of people peacefully protest on a near-weekly basis, calling for an end to Israel's genocidal war in Gaza in the last 22 months.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Al Jazeera
9 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
These 28 countries called for Israel to end its war on Gaza: What they said
On Monday, 28 countries, including the United Kingdom, Japan, and numerous European nations, issued a joint statement calling on Israel that the war on Gaza 'must end now', marking the latest example of intensifying criticism from Israel's allies. The joint statement, signed by the foreign ministers of these countries, condemned 'the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food'. The statement comes as global pressure mounts on Israel over civilian casualties at aid sites, obstruction of humanitarian aid, and violations of international humanitarian law – as the occupied Palestinian territory simmers with starvation. Israel's war on Gaza has killed more than 59,000 people and wounded 140,000 since the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas, in which 1,139 people were killed and more than 200 were taken captive. So, what does the joint statement say? Who are these countries? And how have Israel and its closest ally, the United States, reacted? What did the statement say? The joint statement said the countries are coming together 'with a simple, urgent message: The war in Gaza must end now.' The statement underlined that the suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached 'new depths' and that the Israeli government's aid delivery model is 'dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity'. They called on the Israeli government to 'comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law' and immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid. The group of countries also noted that the captives 'cruelly held' by Hamas continue to 'suffer terribly' and called for their immediate and unconditional release. They said in the statement that a negotiated ceasefire offers 'the best hope of bringing [the captives] home and ending the agony of their families'. Demographic change, settler violence: What else did the countries say? The countries criticised Israel's plan to establish a concentration zone – Israel's vision of relocating the entire Palestinian population into a fenced, heavily controlled zone built on the ruins of Rafah – as 'completely unacceptable'. 'Permanent forced displacement is a violation of international humanitarian law,' the joint statement said. The group of countries also marked its opposition to 'any steps towards territorial or demographic change in the Occupied Palestinian Territories' and noted that the E1 settlement plan announced would divide a Palestinian state in two, 'marking a flagrant breach of international law and critically [undermining] the two-state solution'. They also called out that the 'settlement building across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, has accelerated while settler violence against Palestinians has soared. This must stop.' Which countries signed the joint statement? The joint statement was signed by the foreign ministers of a total of 28 countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK. These governments, many of them allies of Israel, issued some of their strongest language yet, condemning the obstruction of aid in the occupied Palestinian territory. Which of those countries recognise Palestine? Out of these 28 countries from the joint statement, nine recognise the State of Palestine as a sovereign state. Cyprus, Malta, and Poland recognised Palestine shortly after the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988. Iceland followed in 2011, and Sweden in 2014. Ireland, Norway, Slovenia, and Spain recognised Palestine in 2024. How did Israel respond? Oren Marmorstein, a spokesperson for the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, wrote on X that Israel rejects the joint statement published by the group of countries, 'as it is disconnected from reality and sends the wrong message to Hamas'. Israel further claimed that instead of agreeing to a ceasefire, 'Hamas is busy running a campaign to spread lies about Israel' and deliberately acting to increase friction and harm to civilians who come to receive humanitarian aid. The statement further said there is a 'concrete proposal for a ceasefire deal' and Hamas 'stubbornly refuses to accept it'. What does Hamas say about the ceasefire? The spokesperson of the military wing of Hamas said Israel was the one that rejected a ceasefire agreement to release all captives held in Gaza. Qassam Brigades spokesperson Abu Obeida said in a prerecorded video, released on Friday, that the group had in recent months offered a 'comprehensive deal' that would release all captives at once – but it was rejected by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right ministers. 'It has become clear to us that the government of the criminal Netanyahu has no real interest in the captives because they are soldiers,' he said, adding that Hamas favours a deal that guarantees an end to the war, a withdrawal of Israeli forces, and entry of humanitarian aid for besieged Palestinians. Hamas is still holding 50 people in Gaza, about 20 of whom are believed to be alive. What is Israel blocking from entering Gaza, claiming that Hamas can use it? Israel continues to block the entry of essential humanitarian supplies into Gaza, claiming that Hamas could divert or repurpose them for military use. Among the items withheld are: Baby formula, food, water filters, and medicines. Medicine and medical supplies face blocks as part of Israel's 'dual-use' restrictions, where items like painkillers and dialysis equipment are held back, ostensibly for possible Hamas exploitation in military contexts. Other medical equipment, such as oxygen cylinders, anaesthetics, and cancer medications, has been restricted. Israeli authorities argue that some items, like certain chemicals or electronics, could have dual-use potential. Aid groups report that the blanket denial of crucial medical items is pushing Gaza's health system towards total collapse, and say that these restrictions are collective punishment and violations of international humanitarian law.


Al Jazeera
a day ago
- Al Jazeera
What are the implications of the UK ban on Palestine Action?
The group has been classified as a 'terror organisation' by the UK government. There have been demonstrations against the United Kingdom's ban on the pro-Palestinian protest group Palestine Action and its designation as a 'terrorist group'. The government actions came after members of the group broke into an airbase and vandalised military aircraft. Critics say the ban is excessive and an attack on freedom of speech. So what are the implications? Presenter: James Bays Guests: Tayab Ali – deputy managing partner at Bindmans law firm Quinn McKew – executive director at Article 19 Peter Oborne – political commentator


Al Jazeera
a day ago
- Al Jazeera
UK, France and 23 other nations demand Israel's war on Gaza ‘must end now'
More than two dozen countries have called for an immediate end to the war on Gaza, saying that suffering there had 'reached new depths' in the latest sign of allies' sharpening language as Israel's international isolation deepens. The statement on Monday came after more than 21 months of fighting that have triggered catastrophic humanitarian conditions for Gaza's more than two million residents. Israeli allies the United Kingdom, France, Australia, Canada and 21 other countries, plus the European Union, said in a joint statement that the war 'must end now'. 'The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths,' the signatories added, urging a negotiated ceasefire, the release of captives held by Palestinian fighters and the free flow of much-needed aid. They condemned 'the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food'. The UN and the Gaza Health Ministry have recorded 875 people killed in Gaza while trying to get food since late May, when Israel began easing a more than two-month total blockade. 'The Israeli government's aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity,' the countries said. 'The Israeli government's denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable. Israel must comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law.' Al Jazeera's Sonia Gallego, reporting from London, said that the statement was a significant escalation from Israel's allies over its war on Gaza. 'This also reflects a broader consensus beyond Europe,' she said. 'European nations have condemned the situation in Gaza, and now you have foreign ministries – such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Japan – that put their names in this statement,' our correspondent said. Call for immediate ceasefire The new joint statement called for an immediate ceasefire, saying countries are prepared to take action to support a political pathway to peace in the region. Israel and Hamas have been engaged in ceasefire talks, but there appears to be no breakthrough, and it is not clear whether any truce would bring the war to a lasting halt. Netanyahu has repeatedly asserted that expanding Israel's military operations in Gaza will pressure Hamas in negotiations. Speaking to Parliament, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy thanked the United States, Qatar and Egypt for their diplomatic efforts to try to end the war. 'There is no military solution,' Lammy said. 'The next ceasefire must be the last ceasefire.' Israel launched the war on Gaza after Hamas led an attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing at least 1,129 people and taking 251 others captive. Fifty captives remain in Gaza, but fewer than half are thought to be alive. Israel's military offensive has killed more than 59,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, mostly women and children.