Veteran campaigner Peter Tatchell was arrested on Saturday at a Palestine solidarity march in London after carrying a placard bearing the phrase “globalise the intifada”. The 74-year-old activist said police claimed the word “intifada” was unlawful, and he called his arrest an “attack on free speech”.
Tatchell’s sign read: “Globalise the intifada: Non-violent resistance. End Israel’s occupation of Gaza & West Bank.” He was taken to Sutton police station in south London. The Metropolitan Police confirmed the arrest on suspicion of a public order offence, stating that officers arrested a 74-year-old man seen with the sign. They reported 13 arrests from the Palestine Coalition protest and one from a counter-demonstration.
In a statement released by the Peter Tatchell Foundation, the activist defended the phrase, explaining that “intifada” means uprising against occupation and does not imply violence or antisemitism. He argued that he was advocating non-violent tactics such as boycott, sanctions and divestment, similar to the anti-apartheid movement. “The police are totally wrong to conflate support for Palestinian resistance to oppression with hatred and attacks on Jews,” he said.
The Metropolitan Police had previously stated in December that chanting “globalise the intifada” could lead to arrest, citing a changed context following the Bondi Beach terror attack in Sydney. Tatchell noted that three individuals were charged with expressing support for an intifada at a London rally last month.
Tatchell, a prominent gay rights activist, highlighted his own record of defending Jewish people against antisemitism, including joining the March Against Antisemitism in November 2023. He also referenced a previous arrest in May 2023 for a placard referencing Israel and Hamas, which he said police later admitted was wrongful; he is awaiting a settlement.
