UK protests in support of banned group Palestine Action
The Metropolitan Police said 42 people had been arrested in London by late Saturday afternoon.
All but one of the arrests were for showing support for a proscribed organisation, which police have said includes chanting, wearing clothing or displaying articles such as flags, signs or logos. Another person was arrested for common assault.
A further 16 arrests were made in Manchester, according to Greater Manchester Police, while South Wales Police said 13 people were also held in Cardiff.
In London, it was the second straight week protesters gathered to support the pro-Palestinian activist group.
Its outlawing has meant support for the organisation is deemed a criminal offence. Police arrested 29 people at a similar protest last weekend.
Two groups gathered underneath both the statues of Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi and South Africa's first post-apartheid president, Nelson Mandela, in Parliament Square.
Signs with the wording "I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action", were held aloft in silence as the protesters were surrounded by police officers and members of the media.
Some demonstrators could be seen lying on top of each other on the ground as police searched their bags and took away signs.
Officers could then be seen carrying away a number of protesters who were lying down, lifting them off the ground and into waiting police vans parked around the square.
The official designation earlier this month of Palestine Action as a proscribed group under the Terrorism Act 2000 means that membership in the group and support for its actions are punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
Some 81 organisations are already proscribed under the UK act, including the militant groups Hamas and al-Qaida.
The government moved to ban Palestine Action after activists broke into a Royal Air Force base in Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, England, on June 20, damaging two planes using red paint and crowbars in protest at the British government's ongoing military support for Israel in its war in Gaza.
Police said that the incident caused around STG7 million ($A14.3 million) of damage.
Four people between 22 and 35 were charged with conspiracy to commit criminal damage and conspiracy to enter a prohibited place for purposes prejudicial to the interests of the UK.
The four are scheduled to appear on July 18 at the Central Criminal Court in London.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News AU
2 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Donald Trump confirms ‘unusual' UK visit after King Charles' invitation
News Corp Europe correspondent Sophie Elsworth discusses King Charles III inviting United States President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for a second state visit to the UK in September. This will be Mr Trump's first visit in his renewed presidency, as second-term presidents are not traditionally invited to return for a state visit. The timing is notable as the president will not be able to address the Houses of Parliament due to their break, avoiding potential political backlash from anti-Trump UK politicians, causing controversy in British media.
Perth Now
2 hours ago
- Perth Now
Air India crash probe far from over, CEO says
The probe into the crash of an Air India plane in Ahmedabad is far from over and it is unwise to jump to any premature conclusions, airline CEO Campbell Wilson says in an internal memo after the release of a preliminary report by investigators. The memo, reviewed by Reuters, comes after the report depicted confusion in the cockpit shortly before the crash of the Boeing Dreamliner in June that killed 260 people. It said the plane's engine fuel cut-off switches flipped almost simultaneously and starved the engines of fuel. "The release of the preliminary report marked the point at which we, along with the world, began receiving additional details about what took place. Unsurprisingly, it provided both greater clarity and opened additional questions," the memo said. Wilson added: "The preliminary report identified no cause nor made any recommendations, so I urge everyone to avoid drawing premature conclusions as the investigation is far from over." The Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for London from the Indian city of Ahmedabad began to lose thrust and sink shortly after take-off, according to the report released by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). The memo said the preliminary report found no mechanical or maintenance faults and that all required maintenance had been carried out. The preliminary report, released on Saturday, suggested no immediate action for Boeing or GE, whose engines were fitted on to the aircraft. The AAIB, an office under India's civil aviation ministry, is leading the probe into the crash, which killed all but one of the 242 people on board and 19 others on the ground. Air India has come under heightened scrutiny on multiple fronts following the crash. On July 4, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency said it would investigate budget unit Air India Express, after a Reuters report revealed the airline failed to promptly replace engine parts on an Airbus A320 as mandated, and falsified records to indicate compliance. ALPA India, which represents Indian pilots at the Montreal-based International Federation of Air Line Pilots Associations, rejected the presumption of pilot error in the Ahmedabad crash and called for a "fair, fact-based inquiry". "The pilots body must now be made part of the probe, at least as observers," ALPA India President Sam Thomas told Reuters on Sunday.
West Australian
2 hours ago
- West Australian
Air India crash probe far from over, CEO says
The probe into the crash of an Air India plane in Ahmedabad is far from over and it is unwise to jump to any premature conclusions, airline CEO Campbell Wilson says in an internal memo after the release of a preliminary report by investigators. The memo, reviewed by Reuters, comes after the report depicted confusion in the cockpit shortly before the crash of the Boeing Dreamliner in June that killed 260 people. It said the plane's engine fuel cut-off switches flipped almost simultaneously and starved the engines of fuel. "The release of the preliminary report marked the point at which we, along with the world, began receiving additional details about what took place. Unsurprisingly, it provided both greater clarity and opened additional questions," the memo said. Wilson added: "The preliminary report identified no cause nor made any recommendations, so I urge everyone to avoid drawing premature conclusions as the investigation is far from over." The Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for London from the Indian city of Ahmedabad began to lose thrust and sink shortly after take-off, according to the report released by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). The memo said the preliminary report found no mechanical or maintenance faults and that all required maintenance had been carried out. The preliminary report, released on Saturday, suggested no immediate action for Boeing or GE, whose engines were fitted on to the aircraft. The AAIB, an office under India's civil aviation ministry, is leading the probe into the crash, which killed all but one of the 242 people on board and 19 others on the ground. Air India has come under heightened scrutiny on multiple fronts following the crash. On July 4, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency said it would investigate budget unit Air India Express, after a Reuters report revealed the airline failed to promptly replace engine parts on an Airbus A320 as mandated, and falsified records to indicate compliance. ALPA India, which represents Indian pilots at the Montreal-based International Federation of Air Line Pilots Associations, rejected the presumption of pilot error in the Ahmedabad crash and called for a "fair, fact-based inquiry". "The pilots body must now be made part of the probe, at least as observers," ALPA India President Sam Thomas told Reuters on Sunday.
