by Israel National News
More than 300 arrests were made at a protest in London demanding that the British government rescind measures against the group Palestine Action.
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| London, archive Rennett Stowe |
More than 300 people were arrested on Saturday at what has become the largest demonstration to date against the UK government’s proscription of the activist group Palestine Action, according to The Guardian..
According to organisers Defend Our Juries, approximately 1,500 people gathered in Parliament Square, many holding signs reading: “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.” The demonstration follows a similar protest last month, which saw 532 arrests.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed the arrests in a statement issued at 7:48pm, citing “a range of offences, including assault on a police officer and expressing support for a proscribed organisation.” Earlier in the day, police alleged that there had been a “coordinated effort to prevent officers carrying out their duties,” and described facing “an exceptional level of abuse, including punches, kicks, spitting, and objects being thrown.”
Organisers disputed these claims, accusing officers of violently targeting peaceful demonstrators — including elderly participants — in an effort to criminalise dissent. Defend Our Juries shared video footage showing police shoving protesters to the ground, and said: “Despite Mark Rowley insisting the police could and would arrest everyone who opposed the ban, it would take them another 36 hours at this rate. Yvette Cooper launched the biggest attack on our civil liberties in living memory — and it has backfired spectacularly. Now she’s no longer home secretary, the ban must go with her.”
They called on the new home secretary to immediately repeal the proscription, arguing that the ban is unworkable and a gross misuse of anti-terror legislation: “These laws were never meant to target peaceful protest or arrest thousands for holding cardboard signs.”
Though mostly peaceful, the protest saw moments of chaos. In the early afternoon, several people were knocked over in a crush as tensions flared on the western side of the park. Officers drew batons, forcibly moved through the crowds, and carried detained protesters away. At one point, water was thrown at police. One demonstrator was seen with blood on his face, and multiple people were knocked to the ground.
Chants of “shame on you” rang out as officers placed two elderly protesters using mobility scooters into police vans.
Many protesters deliberately withheld personal information to overwhelm police processing systems and slow mass arrests. Among them was Steve Masters, 55, a former RAF aircraft technician wearing his four service medals. “I oppose genocide and the government’s overreach in banning Palestine Action,” he said. “They’ve lowered the bar on what constitutes terrorism to the point of absurdity. Damaging property is not the same as harming people — it’s not terrorism.”
Judith Gradwell, 80, also joined the protest, carrying a packed lunch in preparation for arrest. “It doesn’t matter — I’ve got my sandwiches in my backpack,” she said. “You’d think after the Iraq war, the government would listen more to the people on the streets.” A lifelong protester, she marched against the Vietnam War in the 1970s. “I thought the world would be a better place by now. It’s worse.”
Anne Karpf, whose family survived the Holocaust and Russian labour camps, stood nearby under a banner reading “Holocaust survivor descendants against Gaza genocide.” Though unable to participate fully due to caring responsibilities, she expressed solidarity with the demonstrators. “I feel pretty certain my parents would be horrified by what is being done in their name,” she said, calling the proscription an “outrageous curtailment of civil liberties.”
Amnesty International condemned the police response. Kerry Moscogiuri, the group’s director of campaigns, said the arrests signal “something is going very wrong here in the UK.”
“Let’s be clear — treating people peacefully holding signs as terrorists is disproportionate to the point of absurdity,” she said. “Freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are protected rights. Criminalising speech is only lawful when it incites violence or hatred. Expressing support for Palestine Action does not meet that threshold.”
Among the returning protesters was Mike Higgins, 62, a blind man who uses a wheelchair. His arrest at the previous demonstration was viewed by millions on social media. He returned Saturday to protest again.
“The state’s efforts to ban Palestine Action are a complete waste of time — for taxpayers, for police resources, and most importantly for Palestine,” he said. “This is what it’s really about — standing up for the people of Palestine."
Israel National News
Source: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/414488
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