UK: Dozens arrested at London protest in support of Palestine Action

Hundreds of people demonstrated in Parliament Square in London on Saturday over the British government’s continued ban on Palestine Action and its support for Israel amid the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Defend Our Juries, the campaign group organising the protest, said 1,500 people were taking part, holding signs reading "I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action."

Within minutes, police began arresting the protesters, as bystanders chanted “Shame on you” and “Met Police, pick a side, justice or genocide.”

"Expressing support for a proscribed organisation is a criminal offence under the Terrorism Act," the Metropolitan Police force said on social media. "Where our officers see offences, we will make arrests."

More than 700 people were arrested at earlier protests, and 138 have been charged under the Terrorism Act.

Mike Higgins, 62, who is blind and uses a wheelchair, was arrested last month but returned to demonstrate on Saturday.

"And I'm a terrorist? That’s the joke of it," he said. "I've already been arrested under the Terrorism Act, and I suspect I will be today...Of course I’ll keep coming back. What choice do I have?"

Police also detained an elderly woman, the correspondent of The New Arab’s sister site Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported.

Separately, over 300,000 people attended the National March for Palestine in London as part of the Global Day of Action for Gaza, to call for an immediate ceasefire, an end to Israel’s starvation siege, and accountability for war crimes against the Palestinian people.

Activists have escalated civil disobedience against the criminalisation of Palestine Action, which used to organise direct action campaigns targeting Israeli arms factories and companies in the UK before being banned last July.

The protest is due to continue into the evening, and the police are expected to make more arrests due to the large turnout, according to the Defend Our Juries group.

Among the protesters was a retired Royal Air Force pilot who called for an end to the genocide in Gaza and urged his colleagues not to cooperate with the Israeli occupation, according to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed’s correspondent.

The British government has been helping Israel by carrying out drone overflights over Gaza, mostly from bases in Cyprus, and sharing the intelligence with Israel.

It has also continued to export arms to Israel, despite criticising some of Israel’s actions and saying it will recognise a Palestinian state in September.

Palestine Action was banned as a “terrorist” group after its activists broke into a UK Air Force Base and sprayed red paint on warplanes, causing approximately £30 million worth of damage according to authorities.

British police have continued with their arrests of individuals expressing support for the group on various charges. Some charges carry sentences of up to 14 years under terrorism legislation, which has been criticised by human rights groups and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

In another development, an Israeli arms manufacturing facility in Bristol, which had been repeatedly targeted by Palestine Action in the past, has suddenly closed, according to multiple reports.

According to The Guardian, Elbit Systems UK’s site in the Aztec West complex had held its lease since 2019, which was not due to expire until 2029. However, the property - located in a business and industrial zone near the M5 and M4 motorways - was found abandoned this week, with only a lone security guard in a parked vehicle outside.

Agencies contributed to this report.