Dozens Arrested Across UK at Protests Against Palestine Action Ban

Police arrested more than 80 people during demonstrations held in several UK cities on Saturday in response to the government's recent decision to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist organization. The Metropolitan Police reported 55 arrests in Westminster, London, where protesters displayed placards supporting the group. The government designated Palestine Action as a terrorist group earlier this month under the Terrorism Act 2000, following a break-in at an RAF base. Supporting or being a member of the group is now a criminal offence.

Protests also took place in Edinburgh, Manchester, Bristol, and Truro. In Bristol, Avon and Somerset Police said 17 people were arrested under the Terrorism Act after a demonstration on College Green, with three others to be invited for voluntary interviews. Devon and Cornwall Police reported arresting two men and six women near Truro Cathedral, where about 30 people participated in a peaceful demonstration organized by Defend Our Juries. The group stated that one of those detained was an 81-year-old former magistrate. Defend Our Juries also said 16 people were arrested in Manchester, though local police have not confirmed this number.

In London, arrests were made near the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament Square, with officers detaining individuals holding placards. Some of those arrested were elderly, including a woman in her 80s. Police presence was significant, with as many as 20 vans at the scene.