Police arrest more Palestine Action supporters
"Officers have made 41 arrests for showing support for a proscribed organisation," the Metropolitan Police said on X, noting another person had been arrested for common assault.
"The area was cleared within the last hour," it added in a mid-afternoon update.
Footage showed police moving in on a small group of protesters displaying signs supporting Palestine Action who had gathered at lunchtime at the steps of the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament Square.
Campaign group Defend Our Juries, which had announced it would hold rallies Saturday in several UK cities "to defy" the ban, criticised the response.
"The Metropolitan Police were out in force again today, arresting more than 40 people in Parliament Square for holding signs opposed to genocide and supporting Palestine Action," a spokesperson told AFP.
"Who do the police think they are serving in this?" the spokesperson added, calling the ban "Orwellian".
It comes a week after the arrest of 29 people, including a priest and a number of health professionals, for offences under anti-terrorism laws.
- Support now a crime -
Police have warned since the Palestine Action ban kicked in on July 5 that expressing support for it was now a crime.
"It is a criminal offence to invite or express support for a proscribed organisation," the Met said on X ahead of Saturday's planned protests.
"As we saw last week, those who do breach the law will face action."
Palestine Action's proscription cleared parliament in the first days of July, and a last-ditch High Court challenge failed to stop it becoming law.
The government announced plans for the ban under the Terrorism Act 2000 days after the group's activists claimed to be behind a break-in at an air force base in southern England.
Two aircraft there were sprayed with red paint, causing an estimated £7 million ($9.55 million) in damage.
Four people charged in relation to the incident remain in custody.
Palestine Action has condemned the proscription -- which makes it a criminal offence to belong to or support the group, punishable by up to 14 years in prison -- as an attack on free speech.
jj/yad-jj
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Triple murderer should get whole-life order for ‘exceptional' crimes, court told
Triple murderer Nicholas Prosper should be given a whole-life order for the 'exceptional' killings of his mother and two siblings, the Court of Appeal has heard. Prosper was jailed for a minimum term of 49 years, less 188 days already spent in custody, in March after admitting killing his mother, Juliana Falcon, 48, sister Giselle Prosper, 13, and 16-year-old brother Kyle Prosper at their family flat in Luton, Bedfordshire, on September 13 2023. The 19-year-old also admitted weapons charges after plotting a mass shooting at his former primary school in the town. The Solicitor General has referred his sentence to the Court of Appeal as 'unduly lenient', claiming that he should be given a whole-life order, meaning that he would never be released. If three senior judges rule that the sentence should be increased, Prosper would become the first person aged between 18 and 20 to be given a whole-life sentence. Barristers for Prosper, who currently will not be released until at least his late 60s, told judges that the sentence 'cannot be said to be unduly lenient'. Tom Little KC, for the Solicitor General, told the hearing in London: 'What the facts reveal is a case which, on any view, was exceptional, even in the context of a murder.' He continued: 'It was a murder of three people, two of them were children, including the intended rape of the sister. That did not take place, but it had been intended. 'The murders were committed one after the other in their own home, heard by neighbours and each was aware they were being killed by their son or sibling, and one pleaded, that is the brother, for his life.' He added: 'It was meant to achieve national and international notoriety.' In written submissions, he said that a whole-life term was 'just punishment'. He said: 'The age of the offender and his guilty pleas, although relevant to the ultimate decision, did not inexorably lead to or mean that this was a case in which a whole-life order was not appropriate.' After shooting dead his siblings and mother, and stabbing his brother more than 100 times, Prosper hid for more than two hours before flagging down police officers in a nearby street and showing them where he had hidden a loaded shotgun and 33 cartridges near playing fields. He had bought the firearm and 100 cartridges from a legitimate firearms dealer the day before the murders after forging a gun licence. Rules were changed in 2022 to allow younger defendants aged 18 to 20 to receive whole-life orders. Sentencing Prosper at Luton Crown Court in March, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said that a whole-life term could only be given to someone in that age bracket if a court deemed 'that the seriousness of the combination of offences is exceptionally high'. She stopped short of imposing a whole-life order in Prosper's case, as he was stopped from carrying out the school shooting, having murdered his family earlier than he intended after his mother woke up. She continued that while he was 'indisputably a very dangerous young man', the risk to the public was met with a life sentence. David Bentley KC, for Prosper, said on Wednesday that it was 'very difficult' to say how a 49-year sentence 'can be said to be unduly lenient'. He said: 'The reality is that with the existing sentence, the earliest date he could actually be considered for parole is in his late 60s, and the dangerousness is covered by the life sentence. 'As the court knows, if he remains considered to be dangerous, he never comes out anyway, so a life sentence is a life sentence, and the minimum term simply provides a time when it can be reviewed.' He continued: 'We accept that had it been someone aged 21 or over, the whole-life order would have been made. 'However, the judge, we say quite rightly, said this test is so high and there are factors here which allow her to stand back from that.' He also said that Prosper 'voluntarily separated himself' from the weapon after deciding not to carry out the school shooting. Prosper watched proceedings via a video link from HMP Belmarsh, at times with his head in his hands. The Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr, Mr Justice Wall and Mr Justice Goss could give judgment later on Wednesday.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Analysis finds devolved tax powers could add £4 billion for local services
Allowing councils to administer and retain taxes generated locally would boost funding for services by more than £4 billion in many areas and 'supercharge' economic growth, a new analysis suggests. The report argues that new fiscal arrangements which enable authorities to a proportion of revenue from income tax, stamp duty and the apprenticeship levy alongside a new tourist tax could prove transformational and support the delivery of the Government's priorities. The County Councils Network, which commissioned the report, stressed the proposals do not advocate tax rises and acknowledged that a process of redistributing tax revenue would need to be established to address regional variations in the amounts generated. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner recently said she wanted 'more push' towards fiscal devolution as part of the Government's pledge to transfer central decision making to local areas. The English Devolution White Paper published last year states that mayors could submit proposals for new powers, such as fiscal devolution, which the government is obliged to consider. The guidance recently published alongside the the Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill earlier this month stipulates that new strategic authorities can pilot devolved powers to make it 'easier to deepen devolution over time'. The 37 CCN councils, including top tier shire authorities and unitaries, serve about 45% of the population and contributed almost £390 billion in national tax receipts in 2022/23, the report said. This level of county revenues amounted to 44% of the revenue total for England of £891.3 billion, rising to 57% if London's contribution is not taken into account. This includes contributions of 62% in income tax and and 55% in VAT. The analysis found that expenditure in county areas totalled £273 billion, amounting to a net benefit to the exchequer of £113.6 billion a year. The report said allowing authorities to retain 'better than expected' income tax growth could raise £3.8 billion in county areas annually and would 'dramatically incentivise' local job creation. Retaining half of stamp duty on new homes could provide about £237 million and encourage councils to deliver more housing, the analysis showed, while a tourist tax set at £2 a night could generate about £209 million in extra annual revenue. If county and unitary councils were granted 10% of funds from the apprenticeship levy generated locally, councils could direct an estimated £120 million a year to skills and growth. The report concluded that these measures combined could raise about £4.4 billion in county areas, which equates to 10% of an average budget for these authorities, while nationally the figures are about £8.9 billion a year. Richard Roberts, CCN's economic growth spokesman, said the research 'warrants serious consideration from government and from existing mayors'. He added: 'There has never been a better time to consider empowering local areas with fiscal devolution and let's be clear: this is not about new taxes for local residents and businesses. It's about using existing taxes more effectively, allowing local areas who understand what's needed to drive growth to invest to that end. 'More pressingly, there is the shared local and central government need to increase growth, create jobs and build homes alongside the urgency to invest in local economic growth services and infrastructure. 'The potential revenue generated from the fiscal devolution options modelled in this report would be a game-changer for local areas, allowing them to invest in growth and incentivise areas to maintain productivity gains. 'Whilst there will still be a need for central government to a play a redistributive role to ensure equity across regions, we have long argued counties are the backbone of the economy. 'Now is the time for Government be bold and ambitious and think about unleashing the potential of counties.' London Councils, which represents the 32 boroughs in the capital, said authorities' current reliance on council tax and government grants perpetuates unsustainable financial stress. Claire Holland, chairwoman of London Councils, said: 'Devolving more fiscal powers to a local level is crucial for fixing this broken system and ending the crisis in council finances. 'With more autonomy and flexibility – such as powers to introduce an overnight accommodation levy – we would be in a much stronger position to respond to our communities' needs and encourage economic growth. 'London is the powerhouse of the UK economy, but still faces immense challenges around productivity, unemployment, and poverty, as well as an enormous £500 million funding gap in boroughs' budgets. 'Fiscal devolution could help us tackle these issues and maximise London's contribution to the country's future prosperity.'
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Warning after two people scammed out of £15k each
Two people in Jersey have been scammed out of more than £15,000 each, police have said. States of Jersey Police are warning islanders to be on alert as scammers were contacting individuals online claiming to send "high-value goods". Police said the scammers are providing what appears to be official Jersey Customs and Immigration Service (JCIS) paperwork, requesting goods and services tax (GST) payments before goods could be released. Police said the documents were "highly convincing and intended to pressure victims into making quick payments". "The fake paperwork is designed to look as though the fraudster has already paid the GST," police said. "The victim is then asked to reimburse the fraudster directly before the goods are shipped, but the goods don't exist." Police advised islanders that the JCIS would not request GST payments via third parties or through unofficial channels. It said islanders who received suspicious customs documents or GST payment requests should not pay and contact Jersey Customs directly. Police added: "Be cautious of unsolicited offers involving goods being shipped to Jersey. Never share personal or financial information with unknown individuals. "Report any suspicious activity to the States of Jersey Police." More news stories for Jersey Listen to the latest news for Jersey Follow BBC Jersey on X and Facebook. Send your story ideas to Fraud complaints 'explode' in growth since 2022 Police publish scam prevention guide for Jersey States of Jersey Police
