UK police arrest over 100 Palestine Action supporters in protests
The Metropolitan Police confirmed 55 arrests in London's Parliament Square under the Terrorism Act 2000 for displaying signs backing Palestine Action. Protesters carried placards stating, 'I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.'
Additional arrests occurred in separate marches, with nine detained in London, eight in Truro, Cornwall, 16 in Manchester, and 17 in Bristol. Demonstrations also took place in Edinburgh, Scotland.
The rallies were coordinated by Defend Our Juries, aiming to 'defy' the ban imposed on Palestine Action. Since the ban took effect on July 5, authorities have warned that supporting the group is now a criminal offense.
The government moved to outlaw Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act after activists allegedly vandalized an air force base in southern England, causing £7 million in damages. Four suspects remain in custody over the incident.
Palestine Action has denounced the ban, calling it an attack on free speech. Membership or support of the group now carries a potential 14-year prison sentence.
Last week, 72 protesters were arrested, followed by 29 the previous week, as tensions escalate over the government's crackdown. - AFP
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The Sun
2 days ago
- The Sun
UK police arrest over 100 Palestine Action supporters in protests
LONDON: UK police detained more than 100 people across multiple cities during protests supporting Palestine Action, marking the third consecutive weekend of demonstrations against the government's ban on the activist group under anti-terror laws. The Metropolitan Police confirmed 55 arrests in London's Parliament Square under the Terrorism Act 2000 for displaying signs backing Palestine Action. Protesters carried placards stating, 'I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.' Additional arrests occurred in separate marches, with nine detained in London, eight in Truro, Cornwall, 16 in Manchester, and 17 in Bristol. Demonstrations also took place in Edinburgh, Scotland. The rallies were coordinated by Defend Our Juries, aiming to 'defy' the ban imposed on Palestine Action. Since the ban took effect on July 5, authorities have warned that supporting the group is now a criminal offense. The government moved to outlaw Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act after activists allegedly vandalized an air force base in southern England, causing £7 million in damages. Four suspects remain in custody over the incident. Palestine Action has denounced the ban, calling it an attack on free speech. Membership or support of the group now carries a potential 14-year prison sentence. Last week, 72 protesters were arrested, followed by 29 the previous week, as tensions escalate over the government's crackdown. - AFP
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- New Straits Times
UK police arrest scores of Palestine Action supporters
LONDON: UK police arrested scores of people in London and other cities for supporting Palestine Action in a third consecutive weekend of protests over the government's decision to ban the activist group using anti-terror laws. Some 55 people were held at a demonstration in London's Parliament Square under the Terrorism Act 2000 for displaying signs supporting Palestine Action, the Metropolitan Police said. The protesters held up placards reading: "I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action." Another eight were detained at a separate London march. A further eight were held in Truro in Cornwall. Other protests were held in northwestern Manchester where 18 people were detained, in western Bristol where another 17 were arrested, and in the Scottish capital Edinburgh, police said. The rallies were organised by campaign group Defend Our Juries, which had said they were intended to "defy" the ban. Since the Palestine Action ban kicked in on July 5, police have warned that expressing support for the group was now a crime, after a last-ditch High Court challenge failed to stop its proscription becoming law. The government announced plans for the ban under the 2000 Terrorism Act days after activists from the group claimed to be behin.d a break-in at an air force base in southern England. Two aircraft there were sprayed with red paint, causing an estimated £7 million ($9.55 million) in damage. Four people charged in relation to the incident remain in custody. Palestine Action has condemned its outlawing -- which makes it a criminal offence to belong to or support the group, punishable by up to 14 years in prison -- as an attack on free speech. - AFP
New Straits Times
13-07-2025
- New Straits Times
Police arrest scores more Palestine Action supporters
LONDON: Police in several British cities on Saturday arrested scores of people for supporting Palestine Action, following a second consecutive weekend of protests over the government's decision to ban the activist group using anti-terror laws. Campaign group Defend Our Juries, which had announced the rallies "to defy" the ban, said 86 people had been arrested across five different cities. They included four vicars, a lawyer, a civil servant, a social worker, a mechanical engineer and the daughter of a Polish resistance fighter, as well as veterans of the 1960s civil rights movement, the group added. "We will not be deterred from opposing genocide, nor from defending those who refuse to be bystanders," the group said in a statement, referring to accusations levelled against Israel over its war in Gaza. The protesters were also taking a stand "against the corruption of democracy and the rule of law", it added. In London, the Metropolitan Police said its officers had made 41 arrests for "showing support for a proscribed organisation." Another person was arrested for common assault, the force added. Footage showed police moving in on a small group of protesters displaying signs supporting Palestine Action. They had gathered at lunchtime at the steps of the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament Square. Greater Manchester Police arrested 16 people, while officers in the Welsh capital Cardiff detained 13, all for the same offence under the 2000 Terrorism Act, both forces confirmed. "South Wales Police supports the right for people to make their voices heard through protest providing it is done lawfully," said a police statement. The other arrests occurred in the Northern Irish city Londonderry – also known as Derry – and Leeds, in northern England, according to Defend Our Juries. They come a week after 29 similar arrests at protests staged last Saturday, mainly in London. Since the Palestine Action ban kicked in on July 5, police have warned that expressing support for the group was now a crime, after a last-ditch High Court challenge failed to stop its proscription becoming law. The government announced plans for the ban under the 2000 Terrorism Act days after the group's activists claimed to be behind a break-in at an air force base in southern England. Two aircraft there were sprayed with red paint, causing an estimated £7 million (US$9.55 million) in damage. Four people charged in relation to the incident remain in custody. Palestine Action has condemned its outlawing – which makes it a criminal offence to belong to or support the group, punishable by up to 14 years in prison – as an attack on free speech.
