ARMED police threatened a peaceful protester for holding a Palestinian flag and displaying signs saying “Free Gaza” and “Israel is committing genocide”.
One officer told Laura Murton, 42, that mentioning “freedom of Gaza, Israel, genocide” fell foul of terrorism laws and accused her of expressing support for the banned group Palestine Action, The Guardian reports.
She was confronted by police in Canterbury, Kent, and when asked whether she supported any proscribed organisations, Murton replied: “I do not.”
Murton said she had no signs mentioning Palestine Action.
In the encounter, which she filmed, one officer said: “Mentioning freedom of Gaza, Israel, genocide, all of that all come under proscribed groups, which are terror groups that have been dictated by the Government.”
He goes on to claim that “Free Gaza” is “supportive of Palestine Action”, adding it was an offence “to express an opinion or belief that is supportive of a proscribed organisation, namely Palestine Action is an offence under section 12(1A) of the Terrorism Act”. The officer accused her of committing a criminal offence.
She reluctantly provided her name and address after being told she would otherwise be arrested, according to The Guardian.
Murton told the paper: “I don’t see how anything I was wearing, how anything I was displaying, anything I was saying, could be deemed as supportive of the proscribed group.”
“It’s terrifying, I was standing there thinking, this is the most [...] authoritarian, dystopian experience I’ve had in this country, being told that I’m committing terrorist offences by two guys with firearms.”
“I ended up giving my details, and I really resent the fact I had to do that because I don’t think that was lawful at all.”
Palestine Action were banned by Labour earlier this month, in an unprecedented crackdown on a direct action group. The ban came into force on July 5 after an unsuccessful legal bid by the group’s co-founder Huda Ammori to gain an injunction.
One of the police officers told Murton they were “trying to be fair”, adding: “We could have jumped out, arrested you, dragged you off in a van.”
The ban sparked warnings it would be used to restrict the free speech of people protesting the genocide in Gaza, with lawyers representing the group saying: “Proscription of Palestine Action is highly likely to have a wide chilling effect on speech and assembly of those seeking to speak out against Israel’s serious violations of international law in the occupied Palestinian territory, including in Gaza.”
Murton told The Guardian she had been motivated to protest because she “can’t handle” Palestinians being killed every day by Israel, in what the International Court of Justice has ruled is plausibly a genocide.
International arrest warrants have also been issued for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu (above) and former defence minister Yoav Gallant.
Murton added: “I can’t handle sitting and doing nothing. Just showing up during rush hour to remind people that Palestine exists and that genocide is happening and try to keep it in the public consciousness – it wasn’t motivated by anything other than that.”
Tom Southerden, Amnesty International UK’s law and human rights director, said the footage was “very concerning”, adding: “We have long criticised UK terrorism law for being excessively broad and vaguely worded and a threat to freedom of expression. This video documents one aspect of exactly the kind of thing we were warning about.”
A Kent Police spokesperson previously told The Guardian: “Under the Terrorism Act it is a criminal offence to carry or display items that may arouse reasonable suspicion that an individual is a member or supporter of a proscribed organisation such as Palestine Action.”
After being contacted by The National, Kent Police said: "Following the behaviour of an individual on a traffic roundabout in Canterbury on Monday, July 14, 2025, officers attended to investigate. Having ascertained no offences had been committed, no further action was taken."
