Palestine Action protest to go ahead with more than 500 people, organisers say
The Metropolitan Police has warned that anyone found to be expressing support for Palestine Action 'can expect to be arrested' following the Government's decision to ban the organisation last month.
Defend Our Juries has denied that the planned mass protest will try to overwhelm the police and justice system.
People during a previous protest in Parliament Square, central London, in support of Palestine Action (Yui Mok/PA)
A spokesperson said on Tuesday: 'Defend Our Juries has confirmed that 500+ people have committed to holding 'I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action' signs on Saturday in central London, as part of the Lift the Ban campaign, to end the proscription of Palestine Action.
'Since the threshold for the conditional commitment requirement has been reached, the action will go ahead as planned.'
More than 200 people were arrested at a wave of protests across the UK in response to the proscription last month as part of the campaign co-ordinated by Defend Our Juries.
Many of the protesters were detained after writing and holding up the message 'I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action' on placards or pieces of cardboard.
A Met Police spokesperson said: 'We are aware that the organisers of Saturday's planned protest are encouraging hundreds of people turn out with the intention of placing a strain on the police and the wider criminal justice system.
'The Met is very experienced in dealing with large-scale protests, including where the protest activity crosses into criminality requiring arrests.
'While we will not go into the specific details of our plan, the public can be assured that we will have the resources and processes in place to respond to any eventuality.
'Our officers will continue to apply the law in relation to Palestine Action as we have done since its proscription.
'Anyone showing support for the group can expect to be arrested.'
A Defend Our Juries spokesperson previously said: 'It is wrong to characterise this (planned demonstration) as a plan to overwhelm the police and court systems.
'If we are allowed to protest peacefully and freely, then that is no bother to anyone.'
The move to ban Palestine Action came after two Voyager aircraft were damaged at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on June 20, an incident it subsequently claimed, which police said caused about £7 million worth of damage.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced plans to proscribe Palestine Action three days later, saying the vandalism of the planes was 'disgraceful' and the group had a 'long history of unacceptable criminal damage'.
A High Court ruling on Wednesday decided that Palestine Action's co-founder Huda Ammori had several 'reasonably arguable' beliefs in her challenge over the group's ban that would be heard at a three-day hearing in November, but a bid to pause the ban temporarily was refused.
The ban means that membership of, or support for, Palestine Action is now a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison, under the Terrorism Act 2000.
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