Hundreds of people are expected to risk arrest as they descend on London to show support for Palestine Action in defiance of its ban as a terror group.
The Metropolitan Police said it has drawn officers in from other forces to help form a “significant policing presence” in the capital as it faces a busy weekend of protests.
More than 500 people are expected to hold up placards supporting the proscribed group in Parliament Square, after organisers Defend Our Juries announced earlier this week the event would go ahead.
The ban means that membership of, or support for, Palestine Action is a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison, under the Terrorism Act 2000.
It comes days after the first three people to be charged with supporting the group in England and Wales were named.
Jeremy Shippam, 71, Judit Murray, also 71, and Fiona Maclean, 53, have all been charged with displaying an article in a public place, arousing reasonable suspicion that they are a supporter of a proscribed organisation after their attendance at a previous demonstration last month.
More than 200 people have been arrested in the wave of Defend Our Juries protests across the UK since the ban was implemented by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper last month.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan said: “The Met is very experienced at dealing with large-scale protests, including where the protest activity crosses into criminality, requiring arrests.
“While we will not go into the specific details of our plan, the public can be assured that we will have the resources and processes in place to respond to any eventuality.
“Anyone showing support for Palestine Action can expect to be arrested. I would once again urge people to consider the seriousness of that outcome.
“An arrest under the Terrorism Act can have very real long-term implications – from travel, to employment, to finances. Also, as we have seen this week, it is very likely an arrest in these circumstances will lead to a charge.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “The Home Secretary has been clear that the proscription of Palestine Action is not about Palestine, nor does it affect the freedom to protest on Palestinian rights. It only applies to the specific and narrow organisation whose activities do not reflect or represent the thousands of people across the country who continue to exercise their fundamental rights to protest on different issues.
“Freedom to protest is a cornerstone of our democracy and we protect it fiercely.
“The decision to proscribe was based on strong security advice and the unanimous recommendation by the expert cross-government proscription review group. This followed serious attacks the group has committed, involving violence, significant injuries and extensive criminal damage.
“It also followed an assessment from the joint terrorism assessment centre that Palestine Action prepares for terrorism, as well as worrying information referencing plans and ideas for further attacks, the details of which cannot yet be publicly reported due to ongoing legal proceedings.”
Two marches organised by the Palestine Coalition and pro-Israeli group Stop the Hate, respectively, will also be held on consecutive days in central London.
The coalition’s supporters will march from Russell Square to Whitehall followed by an assembly with speeches.
Public order conditions have been imposed on the march which means it must not form or begin before noon, protesters must not deviate from or stop to form assemblies along the agreed route and the protest must end by 5.30pm, the Met said.
Other major events in London this weekend include the Community Shield match between Liverpool and Crystal Palace at Wembley, which will require sizeable police resources.
“This is going to be a particularly busy few days in London with many simultaneous protests and events that will require a significant policing presence,” Mr Adelekan said.
“I’m grateful not just to the Met officers who will be working incredibly hard over the coming days but to those colleagues from other forces who have been deployed to London to support us.”
