More than 500 people were arrested in London last weekend during a demonstration against the UK government’s decision to proscribe the direct-action group Palestine Action under terrorism legislation.
The mass arrests have sparked a significant backlash from civil liberties organisations, politicians, and activists, who have questioned the proportionality of the police response and the justification for the ban itself.
The protest, which took place in Parliament Square on Saturday, was organised by the group Defend Our Juries. The Metropolitan Police confirmed that 532 arrests were made, making it the largest number of arrests at a single protest in London in over a decade.
The majority of those detained were arrested on suspicion of supporting a proscribed organisation. The protest over the Palestine Action ban has drawn sharp criticism from various quarters.
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Government defends proscription amid backlash
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper defended the decision, stating that Palestine Action “is not a non-violent organisation” and that the proscription was based on “strong security advice”.
A Downing Street spokesperson echoed this, claiming the group had committed acts involving “violence, significant injuries and extensive criminal damage”. Officials cited an assessment from the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) which they said concluded the group had committed three separate acts of terrorism.
However, Huda Ammori, the co-founder of Palestine Action, has accused ministers of making “false and defamatory allegations”. She pointed to a JTAC assessment, disclosed in court documents, which reportedly stated that the group “does not advocate for violence against persons” and that its activities primarily involve direct action tactics like graffiti and property damage. The government’s justification for the Palestine Action ban is now being heavily scrutinised.
Human rights groups have strongly condemned the arrests. Sacha Deshmukh, chief executive of Amnesty International, described the police response as “disproportionate to the point of absurdity” and said the arrests validated long-held concerns that UK terrorism laws are “excessively broad and vaguely worded”. Similarly, Liberty, another civil liberties group, called the scenes “deeply concerning”.
The proscription of Palestine Action, which makes membership or support for the group a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison, followed the group’s claims of responsibility for causing millions of pounds worth of damage to aircraft at RAF Brize Norton.
Despite the government’s stance, the widespread civil disobedience seen at the protest over the Palestine Action ban suggests a growing public rejection of the measure.
Image via Al Jazeera.
