Supporters of banned Palestine Action group arrested at London protest

London constabulary accidental they arrested 29 protesters hours aft the pro-Palestinian activistic radical was banned successful the UK.

Police person arrested much than 2 twelve protesters successful London for supporting Palestine Action, conscionable hours aft the activistic radical was banned successful the United Kingdom.

“A full of 29 arrests were made during this afternoon’s protestation successful enactment of Palestine Action successful Parliament Square. They stay successful custody,” the Metropolitan Police wrote connected X connected Saturday evening.

In an earlier statement, the constabulary unit said the protesters were detained “on suspicion of offences nether the Terrorism Act 2000”.

“They person been taken into custody. Palestine Action is simply a proscribed radical and officers volition enactment wherever transgression offences are committed,” it said.

Campaign radical Defend Our Juries said successful an earlier connection that a clergyman and a fig of wellness professionals were among those detained. The protesters had held cardboard signs, reading: “I reason genocide. I enactment Palestine Action.”

“We commend the Counter Terrorism constabulary for their decisive enactment successful protecting the radical of London from immoderate cardboard signs opposing the genocide successful Gaza and expressing enactment for those taking enactment to forestall it,” a Defend Our Juries spokesperson said.

Passersby condemned the arrests arsenic constabulary intervened successful the objection astatine astir noon section clip (11:00 GMT).

“Met Police, you are puppets of the Zionist state” and “leave them alone”, immoderate were quoted arsenic shouting by the Press Association, the British quality agency.

Other supporters, not straight progressive successful the Palestine Action protest, shouted, “Who bash you protect? Who bash you serve?” and “British constabulary disconnected our streets”.

There were further chants of “From the stream to the sea, Palestine volition beryllium free” during the incident.

The ban

Police warned connected Friday that expressing enactment for Palestine Action would beryllium a transgression offence aft the ban kicked successful astatine midnight. “This includes chanting, wearing covering oregon displaying articles specified arsenic flags, signs oregon logos,” constabulary said.

The proscription cleared parliament connected Thursday, with a tribunal situation to effort to halt it from coming into effect failing a time later.

The UK authorities announced past week that it planned to prohibition Palestine Action nether the Terrorism Act 2000 aft activists from the radical broke into an aerial unit basal successful confederate England.

Two craft astatine the basal were sprayed with reddish paint, causing an estimated 7 cardinal pounds ($9.55m) successful damage.

Four Palestine Action activists were remanded successful custody connected Thursday aft appearing successful tribunal implicit the incident.

Laura O’Brien, a lawyer and spouse astatine Hodge Jones & Allen Solicitors, explained that nether Section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000, holding a placard successful enactment of Palestine Action tin incur up to six months successful prison.

“Being a subordinate oregon protagonist [of Palestine Action] weighs up to 14 years successful prison,” she told Al Jazeera. “So this is simply a truly large alteration and superior concern that they’re facing.”

A Palestine Action activistic speaks to supporters and reporters connected Friday [Benjamin Cremel/AFP]

Palestine Action has condemned the proscription arsenic an onslaught connected escaped speech.

Anas Mustapha, caput of nationalist advocacy astatine the radical CAGE International, besides slammed the determination arsenic mounting a “dangerous precedent”.

“It gives the authorities carte blanche to people immoderate protestation that it finds objectionable without immoderate ineligible constraints,” Mustapha said successful a connection connected Friday.

“Moreover, it marks the erosion of the cardinal close to protest, which has been regarded arsenic an emblem of the antiauthoritarian quality of British society.”

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies