Over 200 Arrested at London Protest Supporting Banned Group Palestine Action
London police arrested more than 200 individuals during a demonstration opposing the ban on Palestine Action, a group designated as a terrorist organization by the UK government.
On Saturday, London police arrested 212 individuals, aged between 27 and 82, during a protest in Trafalgar Square supporting the banned activist group Palestine Action, which the UK government has designated as a terrorist organization.
The demonstration was organized by Defend Our Juries, a group opposing the ban. Prior to the event, the Metropolitan Police had warned that showing support for a proscribed organization is an offense under the Terrorism Act and that arrests would be made if the law was broken.
In February, Britain's High Court ruled that the government's decision to outlaw Palestine Action as a terrorist organization was unlawful but allowed the ban to remain in place pending an appeal.
Among those arrested was musician Robert Del Naja of the trip-hop group Massive Attack. He held a sign reading, "I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action," despite concerns that an arrest could affect his ability to travel.
Protesters criticized the police for arresting elderly participants. One woman remarked, "Yeah, she looks like a terrorist, doesn't she mate?" as officers escorted an elderly protester with a walking stick to a police van.