Met Again Arrests: Palestine Action Protesters Arrested in UK
Protests Erupt as 41 Arrested in UK for Supporting Banned Group
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London, UK – A wave of protests swept across the United Kingdom over the weekend, culminating in the arrest of 41 individuals for allegedly showing support for Palestine Action, a group recently banned under anti-terrorism legislation. The arrests, primarily in London, Manchester, Cardiff, and Derry, have ignited a fierce debate about freedom of speech and the definition of terrorism.
London Demonstrations See Mass Arrests
In London’s Parliament Square, a critically important police presence responded to demonstrations held near the statues of Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela.Last week, 29 people were arrested in the same vicinity for displaying signs that appeared to support Palestine Action.Among those detained was an 83-year-old former priest, the Rev Sue Parfitt.
On saturday,shortly after 1pm,two small groups of protesters gathered at the steps of the Gandhi and mandela statues. The action was organized by the campaign group Defend Our Juries, which indicated further demonstrations were planned in other UK cities.
By 1:20pm, the Metropolitan Police issued a statement on X (formerly Twitter), confirming they were responding to a protest in support of palestine Action and that arrests were being made.In a subsequent post, the Met stated that 41 arrests had been made for “showing support for a proscribed organisation.”
Defend Our Juries reported that over 300 police officers were involved in removing dozens of people from the foot of the statues, accusing them of “terrorism offences” for holding signs in support of Palestine Action. The group also provided updates from Manchester, where they claimed officers pushed through onlookers to arrest sign-holders, including clergy and pensioners. In Cardiff, police were reportedly moving in on a group of 13 people outside the BBC cymru headquarters.
Witnesses in London described Met officers forming a cordon around the demonstrators, who silently held up cardboard signs bearing messages of support for Palestine Action, written in black marker. Police were observed searching bags, collecting ID cards, and at times, demonstrators lay on top of each other as officers held their handmade signs before leading them away into waiting police vans.
Government Cracks Down on Palestine Action
The crackdown follows the UK government’s decision to ban palestine Action. Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, announced plans to proscribe the group late last month, just days after activists allegedly breached RAF brize Norton and defaced military aircraft.
Members of Parliament voted in favour of proscribing the group last Wednesday, with the House of Lords concurring the following day. The ban designates Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation, placing it in the same category as groups like Islamic State, al-Qaida, and the far-right group National Action. This makes Palestine Action the first direct action protest group to be banned under the Terrorism act.
Criticism Mounts Over Ban
The decision to ban Palestine Action has drawn widespread condemnation from various quarters. United Nations experts, civil liberties groups, prominent cultural figures, and hundreds of lawyers have denounced the ban as draconian. Critics argue that it sets a dangerous precedent by conflating legitimate protest with terrorism and raises serious concerns about the erosion of fundamental freedoms in the UK.The broad interpretation of “showing support” for a proscribed organisation has especially alarmed civil liberties advocates,who fear it could stifle dissent and activism on a range of issues.