The Metropolitan Police Service said Sunday that officers arrested 532 people the previous day after supporters of a recently banned pro-Palestinian group deliberately broke the law to challenge the government’s enforcement of the ban.
The arrests came as a separate march took place in central London on Sunday afternoon, calling for the immediate release of remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza.
Police reported that 522 people were arrested for displaying placards supporting Palestine Action, a group now designated as a terrorist organization under UK anti-terror laws. Another 10 people were detained on various charges, including assaulting and obstructing police officers.
Supporters of Palestine Action staged Saturday’s protest to highlight what they see as an unlawful restriction on free expression. The group, known for direct action against targets linked to UK and Israeli defense operations, was banned after activists broke into a Royal Air Force base and damaged two tanker planes.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper defended the ban, saying the organization had committed violent acts that caused serious injuries and extensive criminal damage.
“The right to protest is one we protect fiercely, but this is very different from displaying support for this one specific and narrow, proscribed organization,” Cooper said. “Many people may not yet know the reality of this organization, but the assessments are very clear — this is not a nonviolent organization.”
Images from Saturday’s protest, featured on the front pages of Sunday newspapers, showed elderly demonstrators being led away by police. One was La Pethick, an 89-year-old retired psychotherapist, who told The Times of London her five grandchildren supported her actions.
“We are having our right to peaceful protest being taken away,” she said.
Nearly half of those arrested were over the age of 60, according to police data. The Met said it may take weeks to decide whether to file charges, as its Counter Terrorism Command compiles case files and seeks approval from prosecutors and, in some cases, the attorney general.
Supporters of Palestine Action are now challenging the ban in court, arguing it violates human rights laws.
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