Police make multiple arrests at Norwich protest supporting Palestine Action
'These people were all arrested on suspicion of displaying an item in support of a proscribed organisation, contrary to Section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000,' Norfolk Police said.
'Five of those arrested have been taken to Wymondham police investigation centre for questioning, where they remain.
'The remaining eight people were spoken to by officers and provided their details for further investigation.
'They were therefore de-arrested.
'A 14th person had their sign seized by officers during the protest and provided their details when requested.'
Superintendent Wes Hornigold said: 'We will always work to facilitate peaceful protest and protect the democratic right to assembly, however the actions of this group were unlawful.
'Our officers' role is to prevent disorder, damage and disruption in the local community and they will use their powers to do this.
'Any breaches of the law will be dealt with.'
The arrests came a day after the Metropolitan Police said a further 60 people will be prosecuted for support Palestine Action.
The force said this followed the arrest of more than 700 people since the group was banned on July 5, 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.
Last week, the Met confirmed the first three charges in England and Wales for offences under the Terrorism Act relating to Palestine Action.
The three people charged were arrested at a protest in Parliament Square on July 5.
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.
Stephen Parkinson, director of public prosecutions, said: '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
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Sally Rooney publicly reaffirms support for Palestine Action
Novelist Sally Rooney has publicly reaffirmed her support for Palestine Action, despite the group being designated a proscribed terrorist organisation by the Home Office in July. Rooney stated her intention to use royalties from BBC adaptations of her books and her public platform to continue supporting Palestine Action. She acknowledged that her support could make her a 'supporter of terror' under UK law, which carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison. Rooney said the British government is stripping citizens of basic rights and freedoms, citing the arrest of over 500 protesters, including poet Alice Oswald, at recent protests. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper defended the ban on Palestine Action, saying that counter-terrorism intelligence showed the group met the criteria for proscription under the 2000 Terrorism Act.
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Daily Mail
ANDREW PIERCE: Londoners have the Tube, Sadiq Khan has a gravy train
London may be riddled with crime, soaring prices and poor-quality transport – but at least Mayor Sadiq Khan and his officials can enjoy the finer things in life. Latest figures reveal City Hall racked up a £2billion expenses bill in the past financial year. This includes a jaw-dropping £4.6million on printing, £805,000 on hotel accommodation and £57,000 on photography. Then there's the £48,000 spent on postage and another £31,000 for European and domestic flights. The Mayor himself also received tickets worth almost £8,000 to football matches and Taylor Swift concerts (he was last month cleared of wrongdoing in relation to the gifts). And, not to be outdone, his aides have cashed in to the tune of £11,000 with tickets to Glastonbury, the Brit Awards and the UEFA Champions League football finals. Nice work if you can get it... In the Spring Statement, Rachel Reeves announced the formation of the Defence Growth Board to oversee investment in our Armed Forces. Five months later, how many times has it met? Not once. Yet more window-dressing from a Chancellor woefully out of her depth. Cotswolds locals weren't the only Britons amazed by Mr Vance's 24-vehicle entourage during his trip to Britain. BBC grandee John Simpson tells how the late Queen Elizabeth would travel around Britain by train. 'She and her companions would have four seats in a first-class carriage, plus two more for her detectives, leaving the rest of the carriage for the public,' he notes. '[They] were always stunned to see her with so little security.' All eyes will be on London's Guildhall on October 13 when Tory big beasts gather for the tenth anniversary dinner of the Margaret Thatcher Centre – dedicated to the legacy of Britain's greatest post-war leader. But there'll be one notable absence – that of party leader Kemi Badenoch, who will be attending a fundraising event elsewhere on the same night. Lammy's angling is rather fishy... It seems that David Lammy has never held a fishing rod in his life, to judge from his laughably unconvincing fishing pose with US Vice-President JD Vance. The Foreign Secretary, whose Tottenham constituency borders the favourite spot of many London anglers, the Walthamstow Wetlands, could have made more of an effort. I doubt his photo opportunity will have hooked their votes. If Keir Starmer needs advice, he might try Tory MP Esther McVey's words of wisdom. ''Never-here Keir' has clocked up a massive 100,000 air miles in just over a year – more than any prime minister this century – while suffering the steepest drop in approval ratings for any recent election-winning leader,' she says. 'Maybe if Keir spent more time in the UK he might improve his ratings!' Police minister Dame Diana Johnson advised victims of crime to dial 999 if they're in trouble or '111' for less serious issues. She ought to know 111 is for NHS matters. The police are on 101. Labour MP Afzal Khan, fired as trade envoy to Turkey, once overdid the henna while dying his hair, giving him alarmingly ginger roots. From the Press seats above, he looked like Rita Hayworth.
Daily Mail
9 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Wayne Couzens' marital home - with hot-tub he built in the garden- hits the market: Three-bed house where killer cop lived with wife and kids is on sale for £280K
Wayne Couzens ' marital home has gone on the market for £280,000 - complete with a hot tub he built in the back garden, the Daily Mail can reveal. The shamed Met police officer, 52, who is serving a whole life sentence for the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard in 2021, lived there with wife Olena for five years. The couple paid £200,000 for the three-bedroom terrace house in 2016, taking out a mortgage with Nat West Bank, records show. Couzens was arrested at the house in Deal, Kent, by police investigating the brutal killing of Sarah, 33, in a crime that shocked the nation – and left his wife and two children stunned. The disgraced former police officer had handcuffed and 'arrested' Sarah in fake Covid patrol in March 2021, as she walked home through Clapham Common after visiting a friend for dinner. He bundled her into a car, then raped and murdered her, eventually driving to remote woods near Ashford, where he burnt her body and dumped her remains in a pond, with police making the grim discovery six days later. The property is described by estate agents as an 'ideal terraced family house, spacious throughout with three double bedrooms and ample living space'. It goes on: 'The rear garden is a great size and overlooks fields behind. To the front there is a blocked paved driveway and garage. 'The property has been well cared for and has a modern kitchen bathroom and log burner.' The description makes no mention of the hot tub that Couzens built, but in pictures illustrating the house, the timber surround can clearly be seen in the back garden. Other images show a neat and tidy interior with books on shelves and a board game under the table, as well as magnets on the fridge door and a large telescope in the kitchen. The house was put up for sale earlier this year for £300,000 but the price was later reduced by £20,000 after failing to attract interest, despite being close to local amenities, schools and the train station. Ukrainian born Olena was often seen by neighbours walking the family's two pet French bulldogs Napoleon and Josephine and was described as 'warm and friendly' by locals, who added she 'kept a low profile'. Following Couzens arrest in 2021, Olena told the Daily Mail she had kept asking herself 'Why?' adding that it was 'not human behaviour'. She went on: 'If I had any idea what was going on in Wayne's head, then none of this would've happened but I didn't know anything. The kitchen shows magnets on the fridge door and a large telescope in the corner as well as family dining table Couzens' wife Olena (pictured) previously confessed she couldn't understand why her husband carried out the brutal attack 'He didn't appear to be acting strangely. I didn't notice anything was wrong. I'm working full time, most of the time I'm dropping the children off at school and picking them up, I have a really busy lifestyle. 'I can't comprehend it because he never once previously showed any glimpse of violence, he was never that way. I'm just as puzzled as everyone else. 'I saw nothing wrong. He had a beautiful family, a good house… what else did he need? I'm constantly asking myself "where I did miss the signs? How on earth could this have happened?' Couzens was jailed at the Old Baily in September 2021 and trial judge Lord Justice Fulford told him: 'Your wife and children, who on all the evidence, are entirely blameless, will have to live with the ignominy of your dreadful crimes for the rest of their lives.' Couzens drove to remote woods near Ashford (pictured), where he burnt her body and dumped her remains in a pond, with police making the grim discovery six days later Shortly after his arrest Olena visited him in prison where he was on remand and he cried and apologised to her and it is thought to be the last time she saw him, although it is not known if they have divorced. Couzens is serving his sentence at HMP Frankland and last month it emerged he had been taken to hospital for a back operation that cost tax payers £17,000.
