Police confirm 532 arrests at Palestine Action protest
The Met said they were aware of online photos and footage suggesting some people returned to Parliament Square after being released on bail, adding it would be 'entirely unrealistic' for officers to recognise these individuals.
This comes after hundreds of people attended the demonstration in Parliament Square on Saturday, organised by Defend Our Juries, with the Met warning it would arrest anyone expressing support for Palestine Action.
'Given the numbers of people arrested (on Saturday) it would have been entirely unrealistic for officers to recognise individuals who returned to the area,' a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said.
'Their focus was rightly on those continuing to commit offences who were still to be arrested.
'We are as confident as we can be that none of those who returned to Parliament Square re-joined the protesters who were holding placards.'
The majority of those arrested, 348, were aged 50 or over, according to a breakdown published by the Met on Sunday.
Detained protesters were taken to prisoner processing points in the Westminster area.
A Palestinian flag outside The Royal Courts Of Justice (Jonathan Brady/PA)
Those whose details could be confirmed were released on bail to appear at a police station at a future date.
They were given conditions not to attend future demonstrations related to Palestine Action, police said.
There were a further 10 arrests, six for assaults on officers, two for breaching Public Order Act conditions, one arrest for obstructing a constable in the execution of their duty, and one for a racially aggravated public order offence, the force said.
Over the coming weeks, officers from the Met's Counter Terrorism Command will work to put together case files and secure charges against those arrested for supporting Palestine Action.
Justice minister Alex Davies-Jones said on Monday supporters of a 'terrorist organisation will feel the full force of the law'.
She told BBC Breakfast: 'I want to thank the police for their bravery and their courage in carrying out their diligent duties in the line of public protection, and I want to state that the right to peacefully protest in this country is a cornerstone of our democracy, and of course, we respect that.
'But with regards to Palestine Action, they are a proscribed terrorist organisation and their actions have not been peaceful.
'They have violently carried out criminal damage to RAF aircraft.
'We have credible reports of them targeting Jewish-owned businesses here in the United Kingdom, and there are other reasons, which we can't disclose because of national security.
'But they are a prescribed terrorist organisation and anyone showing support for that terrorist organisation will feel the full force of the law.'
Securing a charge for an offence under the Terrorism Act will in some instances require approval by both the Crown Prosecution Service and the Attorney General Lord Hermer, police said.
Last week, the force confirmed the first three charges in England and Wales for offences against Section 13 of the Terrorism Act relating to Palestine Action.
The three charged were arrested at a protest in Parliament Square on July 5.
'A further 26 case files relating to arrests on the same day are due to be submitted to the CPS imminently, with more to follow in relation to later protests,' a spokesperson for the Met added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Channel 4
10 minutes ago
- Channel 4
Helping starving Gazans from 3,000 miles away in Manchester
Ghassan was sitting in his Manchester room when we arrived to meet him. He was answering phone calls from his team trying to work out how many families they could feed – 3,000 miles away in Gaza. Ghassan Ghaben, who is Palestinian and was born in Gaza, is the co-founder of Reviving Gaza, a mutual aid group set up to help displaced Palestinian families. He runs the group with his sister Amal, who's now based in Egypt, and a network of volunteers inside the strip. At first, their focus was on helping people survive the bombardment or displacement. But now, they're are simply trying to feed as many people as possible. In March, Israel cut off all supplies to Gaza. By May, some aid resumed but under new restrictions. The UN has since warned that the worst-case scenario of famine is currently unfolding in the Gaza Strip. Starvation is spreading and children under five are dying from hunger-related causes. Ghassan says: 'The Israelis don't wany any organisations working efficiently in Gaza and distributing food the way it should be distributed. They want chaos. Those big organisations are not able to do any work but for us it's different. We have the people from there and they have the contacts.' 'The Israelis don't wany any organisations working efficiently in Gaza and distributing food the way it should be distributed. They want chaos.' – Ghassan Ghaben The Israeli authorities deny they are blocking the flow of aid and say the UN are failing to distribute it. They also accuse Hamas of stealing it, but internal US government analysis also found no evidence of systematic theft of US-funded aid. But since May, the main way to get aid has been at the controversial US-Israel backed GHF sites. Not everyone is able to access aid distribution sites and prices have skyrocketed in Gaza's markets. So the Reviving Gaza team are stepping in, using money raised from donations to buy food that is too expensive for most Gazans – and then distributing it more evenly. Amal says they're focused on helping the most vulnerable 'orphans, mothers alone, and the elderly', those who have no way of accessing food. But with limited access to food and funds, they can only feed families day by day. Later in the afternoon, Ghassan calls Ola, one of the team's volunteers in Gaza. The 20 year old smiles as Ghassan calls but her smile hides the risks of the job. At least three Reviving Gaza volunteers have been killed, among them Frans Al Salmi – a talented artist and life-long friend of Amal's who was in charge of aid distribution in the north. 'I know she's not with me now but her soul is with me always. I open her messages everyday.' For Amal, Frans's legacy is about Gazans helping each other survive; one day at a time. Only 14 per cent of aid needed has entered Gaza since May, Israeli data shows 'Skin on top of bones': Gaza aid coming in, but not enough Should Israel be held accountable for Gaza aid queue deaths?
Leader Live
an hour ago
- Leader Live
Killing of Al Jazeera staff in Gaza ‘silencing journalistic voices'
Prominent Al Jazeera correspondent Anas al-Sharif, 28 and four of his colleagues were killed while sheltering outside al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City on Sunday night. Another reporter was also killed in the Israeli airstrike. The National Union of Journalists is to hold a protest at the Spire in Dublin on Monday evening to condemn the killing of reporters and camera operators in Gaza by Israel. Ireland's deputy premier and foreign affairs minister Simon Harris said he is to engage with his EU counterparts in relation to Gaza on Monday. 'Can I say firstly, just to extend the sympathy and solidarity of the people of Ireland with Al Jazeera and the journalists – the five staff members of Al Jazeera and the one other reporter – who have been killed in a horrifying attack in Gaza,' he said speaking outside Government Buildings on Monday. 'In many ways, it is the silencing of some of the few journalistic voices left in Gaza. 'Of course, any attack on any civilian – including, of course, any attack on any journalist – should always be absolutely condemned for what it is. 'At a time when the people of Gaza desperately need to see a ceasefire, an end to the violence, a surge in humanitarian aid, and of course, the release of the hostages, all of the indications from (Israeli President Benjamin) Netanyahu is of an Israeli government intended to go in the complete opposite direction to that. 'I do think it is interesting in recent days to have seen an increase in protest within Israel, Israeli people standing up and saying to their government 'not in my name'. 'Israeli people wanting to live in peace and security as well, alongside the Palestinian people and, of course, Israeli people rightly wanting hostages released immediately too.'
North Wales Chronicle
an hour ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Killing of Al Jazeera staff in Gaza ‘silencing journalistic voices'
Prominent Al Jazeera correspondent Anas al-Sharif, 28 and four of his colleagues were killed while sheltering outside al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City on Sunday night. Another reporter was also killed in the Israeli airstrike. The National Union of Journalists is to hold a protest at the Spire in Dublin on Monday evening to condemn the killing of reporters and camera operators in Gaza by Israel. Ireland's deputy premier and foreign affairs minister Simon Harris said he is to engage with his EU counterparts in relation to Gaza on Monday. 'Can I say firstly, just to extend the sympathy and solidarity of the people of Ireland with Al Jazeera and the journalists – the five staff members of Al Jazeera and the one other reporter – who have been killed in a horrifying attack in Gaza,' he said speaking outside Government Buildings on Monday. 'In many ways, it is the silencing of some of the few journalistic voices left in Gaza. 'Of course, any attack on any civilian – including, of course, any attack on any journalist – should always be absolutely condemned for what it is. 'At a time when the people of Gaza desperately need to see a ceasefire, an end to the violence, a surge in humanitarian aid, and of course, the release of the hostages, all of the indications from (Israeli President Benjamin) Netanyahu is of an Israeli government intended to go in the complete opposite direction to that. 'I do think it is interesting in recent days to have seen an increase in protest within Israel, Israeli people standing up and saying to their government 'not in my name'. 'Israeli people wanting to live in peace and security as well, alongside the Palestinian people and, of course, Israeli people rightly wanting hostages released immediately too.'
