Half of the 532 people arrested at a London protest on Saturday in relation to the proscribed group Palestine Action were aged 60 or over, according to Metropolitan police figures. The demonstration was the largest since the group was banned last month, with all but 10 arrests made under Section 13 of the Terrorism Act for displaying supportive placards or signs.
An age breakdown released by the Met on Sunday revealed that nearly 100 of those detained were in their 70s and 15 were in their 80s. Among those arrested was Sir Jonathon Porritt, 75, a former government adviser, who described the proscription as “a measure of the government’s desperation” and “entirely inappropriate”. He was bailed until 23 October.
Others arrested included Chris Romberg, 75, a former British army colonel, and Alice Oswald, 58, an award-winning poet. Oswald, arrested under Section 12 of the Terrorism Act, said she had urged police to write to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper about the position they were put in. “Clearly there were some police officers who were really struggling with what they had to do,” she said.
The Met said it had taken precautions due to the age of those arrested, providing water and toilets at processing points. However, some older detainees reported being denied water and kept waiting in the sun. Defend Our Juries, which organised the event, said all those arrested had been released without charge.
