UK police arrest 466 people at Palestine Action protest in London
The arrests came after hundreds of people gathered at Parliament Square in London on Saturday, denouncing Israel's war on Gaza and holding placards with the message, 'I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.'
Videos posted online showed the protesters sitting on the ground, with some chanting, 'Hands off Gaza!' The footage also showed the protesters being carried away by the police as the crowd chanted 'shame on you' at the officers.
The Metropolitan Police, in a statement on X, said that 466 demonstrators had been arrested at Parliament Square by 9pm local time (20:00 GMT) 'for showing support for Palestine Action'. It said eight others were arrested at the protest for other offences, including five assaults on officers.
The group that organised the protest, Defend Our Juries, said on X that some 800 people had held up signs, and that the detention of more than half of the protesters marked 'the largest mass arrest ever by the Met Police at a single protest'.
It added, 'The people are collectively opposing the genocide in Gaza and the Palestine Action ban.'
The protests are the latest in a series of rallies denouncing the UK government's ban of Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act 2000 in July. The ban came after members of the group broke into a military airbase in June and damaged two planes.
Membership in or support for the group is now a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
Critics say the ban infringes on freedom of speech and the right to protest, as well as aims to stifle demonstrations against Israel's war on Gaza.
Al Jazeera's Sonia Gallego, reporting from Parliament Square, said the threat of arrest or punishment 'hasn't deterred any supporters' of Palestine Action from expressing their backing for the group.
'Something as simple as wearing a t-shirt saying, 'I support Palestine Action', or even having that written on a sheet of paper', could lead to an arrest, Gallego said.
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