Another 60 people to be prosecuted for ‘showing support for Palestine Action'
The force said this follows the arrest of more than 700 people since the group was banned on July 7, including 522 in central London last Saturday.
More prosecutions are expected in the coming weeks, and arrangements have been put in place 'that will enable us to investigate and prosecute significant numbers each week if necessary', the Met said.
Palestine Action was proscribed in July after the group claimed responsibility for damage to jets at RAF Brize Norton and was also linked to allegations of a serious assault on staff and police officers at a business premises in south Gloucestershire, the force said.
Last weekend in central London 15,000 people demonstrated peacefully in support of the Palestinian cause with only one arrest, police said, adding that 522 were arrested 'for an illegal show of support for Palestine Action on the same day'.
Stephen Parkinson, director of public prosecutions, said: 'The decisions that we have announced today are the first significant numbers to come out of the recent protests, and many more can be expected in the next few weeks. We are ready to make swift decisions in all cases where arrests have been made.
'The public has a democratic right to protest peacefully in this country, and I understand the depth of feeling around the horrific scenes in Gaza.
'However, Palestine Action is now a proscribed terrorist organisation and those who have chosen to break the law will be subject to criminal proceedings under the Terrorism Act.
'When protest conduct crosses the line from lawful activity into criminality, we have a duty to enforce the law.
' People should be clear about the real-life consequences for anyone choosing to support Palestine Action. A terrorism conviction can severely impact your life and career – it can restrict your ability to travel overseas and work in certain professions.
'I urge people to think very carefully about their actions at protests. Anyone who chooses to disobey the law will have to face the consequences.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
2 minutes ago
- BBC News
New-look Man City aim to bounce back amid uncertainty
Manchester City head into the new season with the cloud of financial charges still hovering over them, while there are questions on how quickly their new signings will integrate into the been dominant with four successive Premier League titles, Pep Guardiola's all-conquering side endured a bitterly disappointing 2024-25 finished third in the table, failed to win a major trophy and suffered a shock last-16 exit from the Fifa Club World Cup at the hands of Saudi Arabia's will be a wounded beast, but there is uncertainty as to how they will respond to last season's struggles and whether Guardiola can build another title-winning machine."We are ready," said the Spaniard. "We had a short pre-season but a really good one and we are ready to go, to enjoy the good moments and bounce back as soon as possible."I cannot assure you, but the signs are that we can be better. Maybe we can be worse! You never know. But I think it will be better." Charges verdict rumbles on Last Sunday, the giant electronic advertising board close to Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium served a reminder it has been "246 days since Man City's FFP hearing ended".That has since ticked on to 252 days and we are no closer to knowing the outcome of City's 115 charges for allegedly breaching the Premier League's financial rules, which were first published in February hearing took place in front of an independent commission between September and December of last year, but there has been no indication as to when the findings will be have strongly denied the charges but, if found guilty, the commission could sanction a massive points deduction or the unthinkable scenario of relegation.A decision was widely expected to arrive in the first quarter of 2025 and boss Guardiola provided a timeline of "in one month" back in February, but that has now dragged into another sheer scale of charges and amount of evidence has led to October now being mooted for the time of the verdict, but there has been no official confirmation of club has declined to comment, while Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said they have "no influence" on the timing and it would be "wrong" for him to the meantime, it has been business as usual for striker Erling Haaland signed a new bumper contract which expires in 2034 and the club extended their kit partnership with Puma for a record £100m per season, making it the largest such deal in the Premier January, they have spent almost £400m on new signings as Guardiola reshaped his squad in an attempt to reclaim the Premier League trophy. Are City flying under the radar? It isn't that often Guardiola gets it wrong in the transfer market but of the four January signings, only Egypt forward Omar Marmoush can be classed as a success after scoring eight goals, including a hat-trick against defender Abdukodir Khusanov barely got a look-in after March, Brazilian centre-back Vitor Reis has now been sent on loan to Girona, while there appear doubts over whether Guardiola trusts midfielder Nico summer strategy was to bolster the squad by addressing the problem areas, bringing in Rayan Ait-Nouri from Wolves to fill the hole at left-back, while box-to-box Dutchman Tijjani Reijnders will bring much-needed energy to the legend Kevin de Bruyne and Jack Grealish left in the summer and it may fall to Frenchman Rayan Cherki to pick up the mantle of attacking creativity, while James Trafford will provide goalkeeping competition to Ederson as the Brazilian enters the final year of his desperately missed the presence of Rodri in the middle of the park during an injury-ravaged season for the club and the Spaniard is unlikely to be fully fit until September after a dressing room has lost serial winners in De Bruyne, Grealish and former captain Kyle Walker so, while Guardiola will be hoping the new boys quickly grasp his vision and settle in immediately, are City flying under the radar?Aside from the acquisition of Trafford from Burnley, City did the bulk of their transfer business in June before the Club World Cup, while signings such as Florian Wirtz for champions Liverpool and Viktor Gyokeres at Arsenal caught the sources have pointed to new captain Bernardo Silva having the experience to galvanise a side which underperformed to their previous high standards last term, when he leads them out against Wolves on Saturday (kick-off 17:30 BST).One insider said "don't count us out" and it would be foolish to do so for a side that has been champions in six of the last eight seasons. Guardiola to relight fire - or is the end near? Last season will have been a shock to Guardiola, finishing outside of the top two for only the second time in 15 seasons as manager at City, Barcelona and Bayern a 10th season with City, the 54-year-old is currently the Premier League's longest-serving boss and has said he will take a break from management once he the great Sir Alex Ferguson did over at neighbours Manchester United, Guardiola will need to show he still has the desire to re-energise himself and his team in an attempt to overthrow Arne Slot's Liverpool and return to the summit only has the playing squad been refreshed, but the coaching staff too. Jurgen Klopp's former Liverpool assistant Pep Lijnders has joined in a similar role, and set-piece coach James French has also arrived from the Reds, while Kolo Toure was promoted from the youth former City and Liverpool midfielder Dietmar Hamann has cast doubt over whether Guardiola has the ability to go again, telling BBC Radio 5 Live: "When a season starts, you've got to light a fire in a team, with the fans, and make people believe. And I'm not sure he's got that fire any more."I'm not sure they're going to win another big title under Guardiola. I'd be surprised, to be honest."Spanish football expert Guillem Balague added: "The fire that we see now - what we see in his eyes, in the jokes with his players and how he returned refreshed from the summer - can that continue until the end of the season?"He has a two-year contract until 2027 and 100% by the end of the two years he will not continue with club football. But nobody can say that may not happen earlier, that this could be his last season."Is he excited because it is his last season or is it because he really feels he has a team in his hands which he can mould and create a new Manchester City, a third version?"If he sees himself having the ability to continue then we will see a second year but we will not see a third. We are seeing the end of Pep Guardiola as a manager."
BBC News
4 minutes ago
- BBC News
'One of a kind' Northamptonshire unitary council boss to leave
A council chief executive described by the authority's leader as "one of a kind" has announced she is Earnshaw was the first chief officer of West Northamptonshire Council when it was established in will depart from the Reform UK-controlled authority later this Earnshaw said the decision to leave had been "difficult" but "the time is now right". Anna Earnshaw came to West Northamptonshire Council from the outsourcing company, Capita, where she managed partnerships with local joined Northamptonshire County Council in 2016 and became its deputy chief executive in the time, the council was effectively going bankrupt and central government decided to abolish the authority and seven other councils across Earnshaw was chosen to be chief executive of the new West Northamptonshire Council - the fifth largest unitary in the country - which was under Conservative control until Reform UK took over the reins in May. She said: "It has been an absolute privilege serving west Northamptonshire's communities and I'm extremely proud of everything we have achieved together."Having made my decision to leave on a personal level some time ago, it was important to me to support our new administration through their first months in office."She added that leaving behind "dedicated" council colleagues had made her decision to leave "so difficult" but "the time is now right personally for me to do new things". The leader of the council, Mark Arnull, said: "Anna really is one of a kind in local government and an excellent, dedicated public servant."The leader of the Conservative opposition, Dan Lister, said: "She has been a hardworking and highly capable chief executive, respected by members and officers alike." Sally Keeble, the leader of the Labour group, said Ms Earnshaw had seen the authority "through from its earliest, shadow days, and through unprecedented financial and political upheavals, with great skill. "For the Liberal Democrat group, Jonathan Harris said Ms Earnshaw's departure was the second senior-level resignation by a women since May's election, coming after the departure of assistant chief executive Rebecca Purnell in added: "Now, the council faces a period of uncertainty along with an inexperienced administration."Anna has played a pivotal role in supporting the council through its transition to a unitary authority." Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The Independent
34 minutes ago
- The Independent
Jenrick calls for removal of judges who ‘bring personal politics' into job
Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick has said judges who 'bring their own personal politics' to the job need to be removed. Mr Jenrick said tighter checks are needed before judges are appointed to see if they have partisan views, as well as a system which would allow for them to be removed from their position if political meddling is confirmed. He told The Daily Telegraph: 'If judges want to enter the political sphere themselves, then they should stop being judges and go into politics. 'We have to have a situation where judges who act politically and bring their own personal politics into their job as a judge are held to account and frankly, can be removed.' Mr Jenrick said he has exposed judges who have tweeted 'highly political, partisan messages' while others have acted as trustees of charities which he described as 'highly partisan'. 'I think that is bringing the historic independence of our judiciary into serious disrepute, and we've got to change that,' he said. Among suggestions from a review is removing the appointment of judges from an independent body – introduced in 2005 under then prime minister Tony Blair – and returning them to the Lord Chancellor. Removing senior judges requires a vote in both the Commons and the Lords, while an investigation ending in a recommendation of removal is needed in lower courts. Mr Jenrick said that while UK judges in some areas remain 'among the most respected in the world', he said the independence of the judiciary has been 'brought into disrepute' in some areas, including immigration tribunals. 'There's no point extricating ourselves from activist judges in Strasbourg only to be beholden to activist judges here,' he said. The former immigration minister also told the Telegraph he wanted 'every single illegal migrant in this country' to be deported. He said that included not only those arriving on small boats, but also those who have arrived in lorries or claimed asylum after landing at airports. Earlier this week, the BBC apologised to Mr Jenrick after a refugee charity boss suggested the shadow justice secretary is xenophobic. Mr Jenrick accused the broadcaster of smearing 'millions of worried citizens as 'xenophobic' for their completely understandable fears'. While appearing on Radio 4's Today programme on Wednesday, Krish Kandiah, a director of Sanctuary Foundation, claimed Mr Jenrick had increased 'fear of the stranger' among people.
