A SERIES of protests calling for the de-proscription of Palestine Action are set to take place this weekend.
The protests, which have mostly been coordinated by campaign group Defend Our Juries, are planned in London, Manchester, Cardiff and Derry on Saturday afternoon.
It comes after a proscription order on the direct action group Palestine Action came into effect last weekend, designating it as a terror organisation.
The order makes membership of, or support for, the direct action group a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
Defend Our Juries had organised a protest in London on July 5 – the day the ban came into effect – which saw 29 people arrested in connection with terror offences.
The group said a number of other demonstrations had taken place since the ban then, claiming that more than 100 people had been arrested under the proscription order as a result.
Protesters are expected to gather in London and Cardiff at 1pm, while the protest in Manchester is set to start at 2.30pm, and in 3pm in Derry.
The London, Cardiff and Manchester protests were organised by Defend Our Juries.
At these demonstrations, protesters are expected to hold signs which read: "I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action."
The protest in Derry has been independently organised.
A spokesperson for Defend Our Juries said: “Are these people holding up signs serious criminals committing terror crimes, who should be locked up for 14 years?
"Or are they ordinary, decent people, exercising their democratic rights and taking a stand against corruption, injustice and genocide?
"Make up your own mind."
The group will also send a letter to the Home Secretary on Saturday, which is expected to accuse the Labour Government of doing more to "fuel support for Palestine Action and to raise its profile" than many of the protesters.
In the letter, the group will set out that they "will not be deterred from opposing genocide, nor from defending those who refuse to be bystanders".
