A further mass protest in Parliament Square has been announced as part of a “major escalation” in the campaign for the Government to lift the ban on Palestine Action as a proscribed terrorist organisation.
Defend Our Juries said it is organising a series of mass actions in support of the banned group, with plans to kick this off in Liverpool at the Labour Party Conference at the end of the month - culminating in a national mobilisation in Parliament Square on October 4.
Almost 900 people were arrested during a mass “Lift the Ban” protest in Westminster on Saturday organised in support of the group.
Despite the arrests Defend Our Juries said more than 1,100 people have already registered to participate in the next mass sign-holding protest and are willing to be arrested. It said at least 1,500 people will attend.
In a statement on its website Defend Our Juries said: "Palestine Action have been branded as a ‘terrorist organisation’, for trying to stop crimes against humanity and for exposing the British government’s complicity in genocide.
"Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, introduced the ban after Palestine Action entered the RAF base at Brize Norton and spray painted two military planes red, shining a spotlight on the role of the British military in partnering Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people.
"It is vital that our campaign succeeds – not just for Palestine Action but for democracy. Once the meaning of ‘terrorism’ is separated from campaigns of violence against a civilian population, and extended to include those causing economic damage or embarrassment to the rich, the powerful and the criminal, then the right to freedom of expression has no meaning and democracy is dead.
“If we let this go, the unions, and climate and racial justice movements will be next."
In a press release it added: “We are announcing a major escalation: a week of mass actions, with plans to kick this off in Liverpool at Labour Conference, culminating in a national mobilisation in Parliament Square on 4th October.
“This will present an unprecedented challenge to the enforcement of this unjust ban, with the Police Federation itself already warning that policing these protests is 'unsustainable'.”
Over 1,600 people have already been arrested after holding signs as part of the Lift The Ban campaign, the group said.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed that 890 arrests were made on Saturday, the vast majority for offences under the Terrorism Act.
The Met made 532 arrests at a similar protest in August.
Officers detained dozens of others on Saturday after violence broke out, including assaults on police.
The Met confirmed that all individuals arrested under the Terrorism Act will now be investigated by its Counter Terrorism Command.
The force said it has been working with the Crown Prosecution Service in recent weeks to speed up charging decisions in such cases.
