LONDON – A mass demonstration against the UK government’s controversial classification of the protest group Palestine Action as a terrorist organization ended with over 200 people taken into custody by London’s Metropolitan Police on Saturday.
Law enforcement confirmed that 212 protesters, ranging in age from 27 to 82 years old, were detained on charges of supporting an outlawed proscribed group. The demonstration was organized by Defend Our Juries, a grassroots group that had been publicly warned ahead of time by police that any participation in support of Palestine Action would lead to arrest. Hundreds of demonstrators converged on central London’s iconic Trafalgar Square, many carrying handmade placards reading statements such as “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action” to signal their solidarity with the banned group.
The legal battle over the government’s ban has been fraught with tension since February, when Britain’s High Court ruled that the Home Office’s decision to designate Palestine Action as a terrorist organization was unlawful. Despite the ruling, the ban remained in effect while the government pursues an appeal to the higher courts, creating a confusing legal landscape that left protesters vulnerable to arrest despite the original ruling against the ban.
Among the high-profile participants was Robert Del Naja, a founding member of the renowned British trip-hop collective Massive Attack. Del Naja told reporters he chose to openly hold a pro-Palestine Action sign despite the clear risk of arrest, which could impact his ability to cross international borders for work and travel. “I thought this is ridiculous and then the police making that U-turn to arrest people again, I thought that is even more ridiculous,” he said, explaining his decision to participate. “So I’m going to hold a sign today.”
As officers led detained protesters away to waiting police vans, crowd members jeered law enforcement, chanting “shame on you” and calling out the arrest of elderly and disabled demonstrators. When police escorted an elderly protester using a walking stick to custody, one attendee shouted to officers, “Yeah, she looks like a terrorist, doesn’t she mate?” highlighting what protesters see as the excessive and unreasonable nature of the government’s crackdown on pro-Palestine advocacy.