Protesters arrested in Cardiff amid UK-wide anger over Palestine Action
Arrests were made on suspicion of supporting a proscribed terror organisation
A protester being arrested in Cardiff
(Image: Richard Swingler )
People protesting in Cardiff on Saturday were among around 70 across the UK arrested for showing support for a proscribed terror organisation.
The protests outside the BBC Wales headquarters in the centre of Cardiff were held alongside parallel protests in London and Manchester. Some 13 people were arrested in Cardiff as well as 41 in London and 16 in Manchester.
The protests were over the decision to class Palestine Action as a proscribed group under the Terrorism Act of 2000. The designation means that membership of or support for the group is a criminal offence.
South Wales Police said that it arrested 13 people who had been protesting outside the BBC offices near Cardiff's Central Square.
The protesters were lying on the floor and bore placards which read 'I oppose genocide' and 'I support Palestine Action'.
The arrests were all on suspicion of supporting a proscribed organisation.
Article continues below
One said the designation of Palestine Action as a terror group was an "infringement of our democractic right to peaceful protest".
South Wales Police said it "supports the right for people to make their voices heard through protest providing it is done lawfully".
In her speech announcing the decision to make Palestine Action a proscribed body, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper referred to an attack on Brize Norton on Friday, June 20, in which two Voyager aircraft were sprayed with paint.
She called it "the latest in a long history of unacceptable criminal damage committed by Palestine Action" and said the Government would not "tolerate those who put [national] security at risk".
She said: "Since its inception in 2020, Palestine Action has orchestrated a nationwide campaign of direct criminal action against businesses and institutions, including key national infrastructure and defence firms that provide services and supplies to support Ukraine, NATO, Five Eyes allies and the UK defence enterprise.
"Its activity has increased in frequency and severity since the start of 2024 and its methods have become more aggressive, with its members demonstrating a willingness to use violence.
Article continues below
"Palestine Action has also broadened its targets from the defence industry to include financial firms, charities, universities and Government buildings. Its activities meet the threshold set out in the statutory tests established under the Terrorism Act 2000.
"This has been assessed through a robust, evidence-based process, by a wide range of experts from across Government, the police and the security services.
"In several attacks, Palestine Action has committed acts of serious damage to property with the aim of progressing its political cause and influencing the Government."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
26 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Windrush commissioner pledges to fight for justice for marginalised groups
The newly appointed Windrush commissioner has promised to expand his remit, to fight for justice for a wider spectrum of marginalised communities who have experienced discrimination in housing, education, employment and policing. At a launch event on Wednesday, Clive Foster will tell the immigration minister, Seema Malhotra, that he does not intend to perform a public relations role for the government. 'Many people were broken by the betrayal, hurt and displacement caused by a scandal that has left a stain on the social conscience of the nation,' he will say, adding that he will challenge officials until they complete 'unfinished work' and fulfil their commitments to those affected. Some commentators have cast Foster's new role as a 'Dettol commissioner', responsible for cleaning up the government's mess. Responding to this scepticism, Foster will tell an audience of members of the Windrush generation at Hackney town hall that his job will be 'to confront uncomfortable realities, not conceal them'. 'If I am to be seen as a Dettol commissioner, as some have called me, let it be in the spirit of healing and protection, not sanitising the truth,' he will say. 'Moral outrage still burns within me for people who had the legal and moral right to be here but were denied that.' Foster, a pastor from Nottingham, was named by the Home Office as Windrush commissioner in June and starts work this week. His appointment fulfils a promise made by the former home secretary Priti Patel to implement a series of recommendations designed to introduce comprehensive reform of the Home Office in the wake of the Windrush scandal, in which thousands of people, many of them from the Caribbean, were wrongly classified as immigration offenders despite having spent most of their lives in the UK. Foster plans to widen his role to address wider injustices, in addition to his core responsibility as 'a champion of the Windrush generation's legacy, ensuring this generation is remembered for their contribution – not just for a scandal'. He will say: 'What began as a fight for justice for the Windrush generation has become a mirror reflecting the broader struggles faced by Black Britons and other marginalised communities. People have come forward not only with experiences of immigration injustice but with experiences of discrimination in housing, education, employment and policing. I want to ensure these voices are heard in the places where change happens.' A number of applicants to the Windrush compensation scheme have seen their applications rejected because they had applied under the misapprehension that the scheme would offer compensation not just to people wrongly labelled as immigration offenders but also to those who had experienced racist treatment in the course of their working lives or during their education in the UK. Applicants often viewed the compensation scheme as an 'opening to express the longstanding hurt and pain they feel about discrimination', Foster told the Guardian. 'They want to express how discrimination and structural racism has affected them over the years. We need to create a space for those voices to be heard and ensure that the right action is taken.' Foster noted that there remained 'suspicion and apprehension' towards the Home Office among the Windrush generation and their descendants, and said some people were still wary about coming forward to apply for citizenship documentation. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion More than 8,000 people have received documentation from the Home Office confirming that they are living in the country legally. About £112m has been paid out across 3,334 compensation claims, in recognition of the extent to which people's lives were upturned by the Home Office's decision to categorise those affected as illegal immigrants. Some of those affected by the Home Office's mistakes were wrongly deported, others were detained, lost their jobs and homes or were denied access to pensions and free NHS treatment. The compensation scheme has been repeatedly criticised for being slow to resolve claims, and at least 64 people have died after submitting claims for compensation. Foster's parents moved from Jamaica to the UK in 1959. His mother worked as a nurse for the NHS and his father worked in factories and mines. 'This is personal for me,' he will say.
Telegraph
28 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Russia and Iran ‘trying to recruit British schoolchildren for espionage'
Hostile states are trying to recruit British schoolchildren to carry out acts of surveillance and sabotage in the UK, the head of counter-terror policing has warned. Detectives have identified several plots in which teenagers were allegedly recruited as criminal proxies by agents acting for Russia and Iran. At least one person in their mid-teens has been arrested and others have been investigated in recent months, according to Dominic Murphy, the head of Scotland Yard's counter-terrorism command. The success of Britain's counter-intelligence work since the Salisbury Novichok attacks of 2018 has meant hostile states have increasingly been turning to criminal proxies to conduct their activities in the UK, it is believed. Earlier this month, five British men were convicted of carrying out an arson attack on behalf of the Russian Wagner terrorist group on a warehouse in east London with links to Ukraine. It later emerged that Dylan Earl, the ringleader, had been recruited online and had been offered money to carry out the attack. Counter-terrorism police have warned that young people, including school-age children and those who are feeling disillusioned, are particularly vulnerable to online recruitment and manipulation. Officers have urged parents and teachers to show the same sort of vigilance needed to prevent youngsters from becoming radicalised by extremists. Vicki Evans, counter-terrorism policing's senior national co-ordinator said: 'Our primary concern isn't that these other people are ideologically aligned to the views of state threats and people tasking that activity. 'But we are concerned that they might find themselves in an online environment where they are encouraged or egged on to do something and don't understand what they are being asked to do. 'Or they are offered some money and see it as a quick and easy way to get some money, not realising the consequences. Or they might be looking for the sort of notoriety in an environment where somebody is encouraging them and challenging them to do things.' She urged parents, teachers and other professionals to be 'inquisitive' and ask questions in order to avoid youngsters being 'inadvertently drawn into this sort of activity'. Ms Evans added: ' Espionage operations target our democracy, target our institutions, they threaten to fracture public trust here in our communities and threaten to target the things that underpin our daily life and our way of life.' Ms Evans said criminal proxies were 'disposable' to those tasking them and were often not even paid for carrying out activities that could lead to them being sent to prison for many years. She added: 'The reality is people are being targeted to conduct this work. They are then disposable to the individuals tasking them once they've been caught, and it will be the individual conducting the act who will be caught, and the handlers or the taskers will not come to their rescue or support them in any way. 'We are looking to raise awareness about this and make a direct appeal to people to think about what they might be being asked to do in these environments, who their tasking might be from, and what that could mean to them.' Mr Murphy said there had been a fivefold increase in work to tackle hostile state activity since 2018, and that a fifth of counter-terrorism policing's casework involved threats beyond traditional terrorism – primarily state-sponsored espionage, sabotage and targeted violence.
Daily Mail
29 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Innocent 'Beast of Birkenhead' Peter Sullivan now in line for £1.3m payout but lawyers say miscarriage of justice changes 'don't go nearly far enough'
Labour has announced an increase in maximum pay-outs to victims of miscarriages of justice – but the changes do not go far enough, lawyers have warned. The current cap on compensation payments for people wrongly jailed for 10 years or more will rise by £300,000 to £1.3million, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood confirmed today. The ceiling on payments to those wrongly jailed for up to 10 years will also rise by 30 per cent to £650,000. The increase is likely to mean that Peter Sullivan – whose conviction was quashed in May for a murder he did not commit – will now be due a higher pay-out. In one of Britain's worst miscarriages of justice Mr Sullivan spent 38 years behind bars before judges overturned his conviction for the 1986 murder of 21-year-old florist Diane Sindall. Erroneously dubbed the 'Beast of Birkenhead' after the brutal killing, Mr Sullivan had long protested his innocence. The sheer length of his wrongful jail term means he is expected to be awarded a sum to the limit of the new cap. In another high-profile case, Andrew Malkinson was wrongly jailed for rape for 17 years and finally freed two years ago. Months after his release he had received no pay-out and described himself as 'broke' and 'living in a tent'. In February it emerged Mr Malkinson had received a 'significant' six-figure interim pay-out – but his final application is yet to be resolved. Solicitor Toby Wilton, who is representing Mr Malkinson in his compensation claim, said Ms Mahmood's announcement 'does not go nearly far enough'. 'The current maximum cap on compensation of £1million was introduced in 2008,' Mr Wilton said. 'Before that, compensation was not capped at all and applicants received compensation broadly in line with what they would receive in a court of law. 'The government should return to this system, removing the arbitrary cap which unfairly penalises those who like Andrew Malkinson have suffered the longest lasting and most serious miscarriages of justice. 'While this proposal is welcome, it does not go nearly far enough.' He added: 'The Government and Parliament should think again. 'A 30 per cent increase in the cap, whilst welcome, does not come close to addressing this unfairness. 'Increased by RPI inflation, the measure the courts use to uprate compensation amounts, £1million in 2008 would be closer to £2million today.' Announcing the changes, Ms Mahmood said: 'Fairness is the ideal that underpins our justice system. 'Where it has failed to meet that ideal, victims of devastating miscarriages of justice must be able to rebuild their lives. 'This uplift will ensure victims are compensated for the crimes they did not commit and the years they cannot get back.' The exact amount of compensation is decided by an independent assessor. Applications must be made within two years of being pardoned or having a conviction quashed as a result of a newly-discovered fact.
