Police have arrested more than two dozen protesters in London for supporting Palestine Action, just hours after the activist group was banned in the United Kingdom.
“A total of 29 arrests were made during this afternoon’s protest in support of Palestine Action in Parliament Square. They remain in custody,” the Metropolitan Police wrote on X on Saturday evening.
In an earlier statement, the police force said the protesters were detained “on suspicion of offences under the Terrorism Act 2000”.
“They have been taken into custody. Palestine Action is a proscribed group and officers will act where criminal offences are committed,” it said.
Campaign group Defend Our Juries said in an earlier statement that a priest and a number of health professionals were among those detained. The protesters had held cardboard signs, reading: “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.”
“We commend the Counter Terrorism police for their decisive action in protecting the people of London from some cardboard signs opposing the genocide in Gaza and expressing support for those taking action to prevent it,” a Defend Our Juries spokesperson said.
Passersby condemned the arrests as police intervened in the demonstration at around noon local time (11:00 GMT).
“Met Police, you are puppets of the Zionist state” and “leave them alone”, some were quoted as shouting by the Press Association, the British news agency.
Other supporters, not directly involved in the Palestine Action protest, shouted, “Who do you protect? Who do you serve?” and “British police off our streets”.
There were further chants of “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” during the incident.
The ban
Police warned on Friday that expressing support for Palestine Action would be a criminal offence after the ban kicked in at midnight. “This includes chanting, wearing clothing or displaying articles such as flags, signs or logos,” police said.
The proscription cleared parliament on Thursday, with a court challenge to try to stop it from coming into effect failing a day later.
The UK government announced last week that it planned to ban Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act 2000 after activists from the group broke into an air force base in southern England.
Two aircraft at the base were sprayed with red paint, causing an estimated 7 million pounds ($9.55m) in damage.
Four Palestine Action activists were remanded in custody on Thursday after appearing in court over the incident.
Laura O’Brien, a lawyer and partner at Hodge Jones & Allen Solicitors, explained that under Section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000, holding a placard in support of Palestine Action can incur up to six months in prison.
“Being a member or supporter [of Palestine Action] weighs up to 14 years in prison,” she told Al Jazeera. “So this is a really big change and serious situation that they’re facing.”
Palestine Action has condemned the proscription as an attack on free speech.
Anas Mustapha, head of public advocacy at the group CAGE International, also slammed the move as setting a “dangerous precedent”.
“It gives the state carte blanche to target any protest that it finds objectionable without any legal constraints,” Mustapha said in a statement on Friday.
“Moreover, it marks the erosion of the fundamental right to protest, which has been regarded as an emblem of the democratic nature of British society.”
