UK: 27 arrested under Terrorism Act at Palestine Action protest
The group, which included an 83-year-old priest, a former government lawyer, an Emeritus professor and health workers gathered by the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Parliament Square holding cardboard signs saying, "I opposed genocide, I support Palestine Action", according to campaign group Defend our Juries (DOJ).
This comes as the government's move to proscribe the direct action group, Palestine Action, came into force on Saturday after MPs overwhelmingly voted to ban the group as a terrorist organisation on Wednesday, alongside neo-Nazi militant groups Maniacs Murder Cult and the Russian Imperial Movement.
A bid by the group to apply for interim relief to temporarily block the ban pending a judicial review was rejected by the High Court on Friday.
The court's decision was later upheld by the Court of Appeal in a judgement issued less than two hours before the order banning the group was due to take effect at midnight local time on Saturday.
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Now, membership of and support for the group is a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
Ahead of Saturday's protest to challenge the move, the 27 demonstrators notified the Met Commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, of their plans, saying: "We do not intend to cause you any alarm. We are committed to nonviolence and there is no risk whatsoever of anyone being harmed."
The group also wrote to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, saying: "We do not wish to go to prison or to be branded with a terrorism conviction. But we refuse to be cowed into silence by your order. We refuse to surrender to you our humanity."
Videos circulated online showed the arrest of an 83-year-old priest who was escorted away by police.
"I'm here to stand up for the people of Palestine and [to oppose] the designation of [Palestine Action] as a terrorist organisation which is total nonsense," she said.
"We are losing our civil liberties in this country."
A video seen by Middle East Eye showed Tim Crosland, a former government lawyer, being carried away by police in handcuffs.
"This is what happens in modern day Britain for opposing genocide, its quite something isn't it?" he said as he was being hauled into a police van.
A DOJ spokesperson said in a statement: "We commend the Counter Terrorism police for their decisive action in protecting the people of London from some cardboard signs opposing the genocide in Gaza and expressing support for those taking action to prevent it. It's a relief to know that Counter Terrorism police have nothing better to do."
They added that 'further actions are expected to follow shortly'.
"Officers are responding to a protest in support of Palestine Action in Parliament Square. The group is now proscribed and expressing support for them is a criminal offence. Arrests are being made," Metropolitan Police wrote on X.
No place at Pride
Meanwhile, four activists from climate justice and pro-Palestine group, Youth Demand blocked a float at London Pride belonging to Cisco, a US company which provides technology to the Israeli military.
The group threw red paint over the float as it was passing through Piccadilly, before sitting down in the road and glueing themselves to the float, bringing the parade to a halt.
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In a post on X, Youth Demand said that Cisco 'have willingly supplied their technology to strengthen Israel's genocidal assault on Gaza and have NO place at London pride', adding that the group demands a total trade embargo on Israel and an end to the pinkwashing of complicit corporations.
Police arrested five people, according to Youth Demand. Video footage shared by the group showed activists being hauled away by police.
'Cisco should never have been at Pride, the UK government needs to take accountability for what it's letting happen in Gaza,' one activist said.
'Cisco is pretending to care about minorities and oppressed groups while they're enabling a genocide. They're here at London Pride pinkwashing,' another shouted as she was being carried away.
Reya Wood, a 22-year-old student from Swansea said: "I am taking action against Cisco at London Pride to highlight the company's complicity in genocide and how they are hiding their crimes behind a veil of pinkwashing. As a queer woman, this action is particularly meaningful to me. I refuse to stand aside and allow my queer identity to be exploited for commercial gain at the hands of war criminals."
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