Metropolitan Police arrested 42 people at a mass protest in London’s Parliament Square on Saturday as demonstrators defied explicit warnings that supporting Palestine Action now constitutes a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years imprisonment. The arrests marked the second consecutive weekend of protests against the group’s designation as a terrorist organisation.
Officers initially reported 46 arrests before Scotland Yard confirmed the figure stood at 42, with all but one detained under Section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000 for supporting a proscribed organisation. One individual was arrested for common assault, according to police.
The demonstrations, coordinated by campaign group Defend Our Juries (DOJ), saw activists gathering beneath the statues of Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela at approximately 1pm, where they held placards bearing the message “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action. Similar protests occurred simultaneously in Manchester, Cardiff, and Londonderry, with DOJ confirming arrests had also been made at the Manchester demonstration.
Swift Police Response to Peaceful Protest
The Metropolitan Police moved quickly to surround protesters who had assembled in two groups at the iconic statues. Officers were observed searching bags, confiscating identification cards and removing protest signs before systematically arresting demonstrators.
Officers could be seen carrying away a number of protesters who were lying down, lifting them off the ground and into waiting police vans parked around the square,” eyewitnesses reported. The last protesters were removed from the Nelson Mandela statue shortly after 2.30pm.
In a statement posted on social media platform X, DOJ expressed sardonic gratitude to authorities: “We commend the Counter Terrorism police for their decisive action in protecting the people of London from some cardboard signs opposing the genocide in Gaza.
The group later confirmed that protesters had been arrested “for holding cardboard signs” and warned of ongoing arrests in Manchester, whilst activists in Cardiff faced threats of detention.
Background to the Ban
Palestine Action’s proscription as a terrorist organisation came into effect on 5 July following a parliamentary vote that passed 385-26. The designation followed an incident on 20 June when activists broke into RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and damaged two Voyager aircraft by spraying red paint into their engines.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described the vandalism as “disgraceful” and cited the group’s “long history of unacceptable criminal damage. Police estimated the incident caused approximately £7 million in damages.
The organisation, established in July 2020 by co-founders Huda Ammori and Richard Barnard, describes itself as “committed to ending global participation in Israel’s genocidal and apartheid regime. The group has targeted facilities linked to defence contractors, particularly Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems.
Controversial Legislative Process
The proscription order bundled Palestine Action together with two neo-Nazi groups – the Maniacs Murder Cult and Russian Imperial Movement – forcing MPs to vote on all three organisations together or reject the entire measure. This approach drew criticism in the House of Lords, with Baroness Jones of Moulescomb describing the tactic as “sneaky.
Multiple MPs expressed frustration at being unable to vote separately on each organisation. We were prevented from doing so by the cynical way in which the Government lumped together those two clearly terrorist organisations with Palestine Action,” one MP stated during the parliamentary debate.
The designation places Palestine Action alongside 81 other proscribed groups under the Terrorism Act 2000, including armed organisations such as al-Qaeda and ISIS. Critics argue this represents an unprecedented expansion of anti-terrorism legislation to target protest movements.
International Condemnation
United Nations human rights experts had urged the UK government to reconsider the ban before it took effect. We are concerned at the unjustified labelling of a political protest movement as ‘terrorist’,” the experts stated. According to international standards, acts of protest that damage property, but are not intended to kill or injure people, should not be treated as terrorism.
Amnesty International UK condemned the move as “unprecedented legal overreach”, with chief executive Sacha Deshmukh warning it “risks an unlawful interference with the fundamental rights of freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly.
The organisation noted that regular criminal law and appropriate human rights protections were adequate to respond to direct action protesters without resorting to terrorism legislation.
Pattern of Escalating Arrests
Saturday’s arrests follow a similar protest last weekend where 29 people were detained, including 83-year-old Reverend Sue Parfitt. Those arrested included health workers, a former government attorney, and an emeritus professor, highlighting the diverse composition of the protest movement.
During last week’s demonstration, protesters endured chants from onlookers including “Met Police, you are puppets of the Zionist state” and “British police off our streets”. The crowd also chanted “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” as officers made arrests.
One woman was observed lying on the ground in handcuffs before being taken away, illustrating the physical nature of some arrests despite the peaceful character of the protests.
Legal Implications and Penalties
Under the proscription order, multiple activities related to Palestine Action now constitute criminal offences. These include membership of the group, inviting or expressing support, wearing clothing or displaying articles associated with the organisation, and providing funding or receiving training.
Scotland Yard has explicitly warned that criminal offences include “chanting, wearing clothing or displaying articles such as flags, signs or logos” related to Palestine Action. The maximum penalty for these offences is 14 years imprisonment.
The Metropolitan Police reiterated on Saturday that “officers will act where criminal offences, including support of proscribed groups or organisations, are committed”, maintaining the stance adopted since the ban took effect.
Ongoing Resistance
Despite the severe legal consequences, activists have vowed to continue their protests. A new direct action group calling itself “Yvette Cooper” – named ironically after the Home Secretary responsible for the proscription – has already emerged to continue targeting companies allegedly linked to arms supplies.
Four Palestine Action members – Amy Gardiner-Gibson, Jony Cink, Daniel Jeronymides-Norie and Lewie Chiaramello – were charged on 3 July under the Terrorism Act with conspiracy to enter a prohibited place and conspiracy to commit criminal damage in relation to the RAF Brize Norton incident.
The High Court declined to grant an interim relief order on 4 July when Palestine Action challenged the designation, with a full judicial review hearing scheduled for 21 July to consider the application to quash the proscription order.
As protests continue across the UK despite the threat of lengthy prison sentences, the confrontation between activists and authorities shows no sign of abating, raising fundamental questions about the boundaries between legitimate protest and terrorism in contemporary Britain.
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Image Credit:
Metropolitan Police officers at Occupy London, Finsbury Square – Image by David Shankbone, licensed under CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
