Fifty-five arrests at Palestine Action ban protests

Fifty-five arrests at Palestine Action ban protests

Twenty-nine people were arrested at a similar protest in London last weekend.

Palestine Action was proscribed by the government under the Terrorism Act of 2000 as of last Saturday, making membership of or support for the group a criminal offence.

South Wales Police arrested 13 people during a protest near Central Square in Cardiff, all on suspicion of supporting a proscribed organisation.

The Metropolitan Police made 41 arrests on suspicion of showing support for a proscribed organisation, with one person also arrested for common assault, during a protest in London.

Fifty-five arrests have been made at two protests against the proscription of Palestine Action as a terrorist group, according to police.

Two groups of protesters gathered in Parliament Square in London shortly after 13:00 BST on Saturday.

Some held placards stating: "I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action."

Demonstrators were observed lying on top of each other while police officers searched bags, collected ID cards, and took handmade signs.

Police carried some of the protesters away and led others into police vans. The last protester was removed from the Nelson Mandela statue just after 14:30 BST.

Palestine Action has engaged in activities primarily targeting arms companies since the beginning of the current conflict in Gaza.

The decision to proscribe the organisation followed an incident in June in which two Voyager aircraft were sprayed with paint by activists who entered RAF Brize Norton. The group stated it was responsible for the incident.

Four people have been remanded in custody, charged with conspiracy to commit criminal damage and conspiracy to enter a prohibited place knowingly for a purpose prejudicial to the safety or interests of the UK.

Another woman, previously arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, has been released on bail. A man was released without charge.

The incident led to a security review across UK military airbases.

In July, Members of Parliament voted to amend legislation to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper stated that the group had a "long history" of criminal damage.

"Its activity has increased in frequency and severity [since 2024]," she added.

"The UK's defence enterprise is vital to the nation's national security and this government will not tolerate those that put that security at risk."

Some critics have stated that the government is misusing the legislation and have questioned whether Palestine Action should be considered a terrorist group.

A legal challenge attempting to temporarily block the proscription was unsuccessful.

Raza Husain KC, barrister for Palestine Action's co-founder Huda Ammori, told a court that banning the group would constitute an "authoritarian abuse" of power.

Campaign group Defend Our Juries, which stated it organised Saturday's London protest, said other demonstrations were taking place in the UK, including in Manchester and outside the BBC's offices in Cardiff.

Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to the 7 October 2023 attack by Hamas, in which approximately 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

More than 57,800 people have since been killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.