More than 450 arrested at protest in support of Palestine Action in London

MORE than 450 people have been arrested as protesters gathered in central London to show support for Palestine Action in defiance of its ban as a terror group.

Defend Our Juries, which organised the demonstration, said between 600 and 700 people were in Parliament Square on Saturday afternoon.

The Metropolitan Police said it would arrest anyone expressing support for Palestine Action.

The crowd, sat on the grass inside Parliament Square, could be seen writing “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action” on white placards at 1pm, with the vast majority remaining silent.

(Image: PA) (Image: PA) (Image: PA) Several demonstrators carrying placards that read “Palestine Action terrorises Britain while Hamas hides in hospitals, schools and mosques”, briefly walked along the crowd before being led away by police officers.

Other clusters of protesters who were not holding placards gathered around the Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela statues in the square singing pro-Palestinian chants.

Officers were holding individual demonstrators sat on the edge of the grass before escorting them through swelling crowds to police vans parked on the edge of the square.

A separate group of officers attended a protester lying next to the fenced-off Emmeline Pankhurst statue.

They later began arresting protesters sat in the middle of Parliament Square.

The officers lifted the protesters – some sitting and some lying flat – off the ground before escorting them away.

(Image: PA) (Image: PA) Onlookers applauded the protesters and shouted “Shame on you” at the police making arrests.

Protesters who were still sat in the middle of Parliament Square stood up together at 2pm and held their placards in the air.

One person was also arrested at a separate Palestine Coalition march, which set off from Russell Square heading to Whitehall via Aldwych and the Strand.

The arrest was “for a placard showing support for Palestine Action”, Scotland Yard said.

Membership of, or support for, Palestine Action is a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison under the Terrorism Act 2000.

The Met Police said in a statement that 466 people had been arrested for supporting a proscribed organisation as of 9pm on Saturday.

A further eight arrests were made for other offences, including five for assaults on officers. None were seriously injured, the force added.

The Met earlier said the detained protesters were taken to prisoner processing points in the Westminster area, and those whose details could be confirmed were bailed, with conditions not to attend any further protest in support of Palestine Action.

Those whose details were refused, or could not be verified, were taken to custody suites across London.