Nearly 900 people were arrested at a demonstration in London's Parliament Square on Saturday, as hundreds defied a ban on the group Palestine Action. The Metropolitan Police said the majority of the 890 arrests were made under Section 13 of the Terrorism Act for supporting the direct action group, which was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in July.
A total of 519 people were taken into custody, while 341 were arrested, processed at a reception point in Westminster, and released on bail. A further 33 people were arrested for other offences, including 17 for alleged assaults on police officers, after pockets of the demonstration descended into chaos.
Hundreds of peaceful protesters were removed by officers to chants of “Shame on you” after they wrote signs declaring “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action” in a mass act of defiance. The Met condemned violence it said was directed at officers from a masked group “intent on creating as much disorder as possible”.
But organisers, campaign group Defend Our Juries (DOJ), insisted the rally was “the picture of peaceful protest” and called on new home secretary Shabana Mahmood to drop the “unenforceable” ban. A DOJ spokesperson said allegations of violence towards police were “false claims smearing the protesters” and noted it took officers 11 hours to arrest 857 out of an estimated 1,500 participants.
Protester Mike Higgins, 62, who is blind and uses a wheelchair, said: “What choice do I have? Nothing is being done about the genocide other than by us. And I’m a terrorist? That’s the joke of it.” All 857 individuals arrested for Terrorism Act offences will be investigated by the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Claire Smart said the violence was “coordinated” and carried out by a group intent on disorder. Defence secretary John Healey said Ms Mahmood would be “just as tough” on Palestine Action as her predecessor, Yvette Cooper.
