Over 50 Palestine Action Protesters Arrested in Central London Demonstration

More than 50 demonstrators were arrested in central London on Saturday for supporting the recently proscribed group Palestine Action during nationwide protests.

The arrests were made in Parliament Square, Westminster, where protesters gathered with placards that read “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action.” The group was recently designated a terrorist organisation by the UK government, making public support for it a criminal offence.

According to the Metropolitan Police, 55 people were detained under Section 13 of the UK’s Terrorism Act, which criminalises expressions of support for banned groups and carries a possible prison term of up to six years. Arrests were also reported in other cities, including Truro in Cornwall, where eight individuals were taken into custody, and in Manchester.

The protests were organised by Defend Our Juries, which claimed that over 120 people across the UK had already been arrested for publicly supporting Palestine Action.

Palestine Action was outlawed following a June 20 incident in which its members allegedly broke into the Royal Air Force base at Brize Norton, causing damage estimated at £7 million to military aircraft.

Under the new designation, membership or active support for the group is punishable by up to 14 years in prison, while even wearing clothing displaying the group’s name could lead to a six-month jail term.

A hearing on whether a judicial review into the government’s decision to ban the group will be permitted is scheduled at the High Court in London on Monday.