Latest news with #DefendOurJuries
The Guardian
an hour ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
More than 70 protesters across UK arrested for allegedly holding signs supporting Palestine Action
More than 70 people have been arrested across the UK in several demonstrations where references to Palestine Action were allegedly made, a week after the group was banned as a terrorist organisation. Protesters gathered for the second week in a row in central London after police reiterated that showing support for the group was a criminal offence, resulting in the Metropolitan police making 42 arrests. On Saturday, shortly after 1pm, two small groups of protesters demonstrated in Parliament Square, sitting at the steps of the statues of both Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela. The action was organised by the campaign group Defend Our Juries, which said more demonstrations were due to take place elsewhere in London and in Manchester, Cardiff and Derry. Defend Our Juries said on X: 'Over 300 police officers have been seen to carry away dozens of people from the foot of statues of Nelson Mandela and Gandhi for alleged 'terrorism offences'. Those arrested are accused of holding signs in support of Palestine Action.' In Manchester, 16 people holding signs referencing Palestine Action at the foot of the Emmeline Pankhurst statue in St Peter's Square were arrested. A Greater Manchester police spokesperson said: 'At around 2.30pm this afternoon, we responded to a protest taking place in St Peter's Square – 16 people were arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000. The group peacefully dissipated at around 3.25pm.' In Cardiff, 13 people who sat outside the BBC Cymru Wales headquarters holding signs that appeared to express support for the group were arrested. A police spokesperson said: 'South Wales police supports the right for people to make their voices heard through protest providing it is done lawfully. We can confirm that 13 people were arrested earlier today during a protest which took place in the vicinity of Central Square, Cardiff.' 'They were arrested on suspicion of committing offences under section 12 of the Terrorism Act 2000.' Defend Our Juries said officers in Manchester pushed 'through crowds of onlookers to arrest sign-holders, including three vicars and many pensioners'. In London, Met officers formed a cordon around those demonstrating, who wrote messages appearing to support Palestine Action with black markers on pieces of cardboard, and silently held the signs aloft. Officers could be seen searching the bags of protesters and taking their ID cards. Some demonstrators could be seen lying on top of each other while police held their handmade signs. The protesters were then led away from the statues by officers into waiting police vans parked around the square. Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, announced plans to ban Palestine Action late last month, days after activists from the group allegedly broke into RAF Brize Norton and defaced two military aircraft with spray paint. MPs voted in favour of proscribing the group on 2 July. The House of Lords backed the move without a vote the following day. UN experts, civil liberties groups, cultural figures and hundreds of lawyers have condemned the ban as draconian and said it sets a dangerous precedent by conflating protest with terrorism. The ban means Palestine Action has become the first direct action protest group to be banned under the Terrorism Act, placing it in the same category as Islamic State, al-Qaida and the far-right group National Action.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Police arrest scores more Palestine Action supporters
Police in several British cities on Saturday arrested scores of people for supporting Palestine Action, following a second consecutive weekend of protests over the government's decision to ban the activist group using anti-terror laws. Campaign group Defend Our Juries, which had announced the rallies "to defy" the ban, said 86 people had been arrested across five different cities. They included four vicars, a lawyer, a civil servant, a social worker, a mechanical engineer and the daughter of a Polish resistance fighter, as well as veterans of the 1960s civil rights movement, the group added. "We will not be deterred from opposing genocide, nor from defending those who refuse to be bystanders," the group said in a statement, referring to accusations levelled against Israel over its war in Gaza. The protesters were also taking a stand "against the corruption of democracy and the rule of law", it added. In London, the Metropolitan Police said its officers had made 41 arrests for "showing support for a proscribed organisation". Another person was arrested for common assault, the force added. Footage showed police moving in on a small group of protesters displaying signs supporting Palestine Action. They had gathered at lunchtime at the steps of the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament Square. Greater Manchester Police arrested 16 people, while officers in the Welsh capital Cardiff detained 13, all for the same offence under the 2000 Terrorism Act, both forces confirmed. "South Wales Police supports the right for people to make their voices heard through protest providing it is done lawfully," said a police statement. - Support now a crime - The other arrests occurred in the Northern Irish city Londonderry -- also known as Derry -- and Leeds, in northern England, according to Defend Our Juries. They come a week after 29 similar arrests at protests staged last Saturday, mainly in London. Since the Palestine Action ban kicked in on July 5, police have warned that expressing support for the group was now a crime, after a last-ditch High Court challenge failed to stop its proscription becoming law. The government announced plans for the ban under the 2000 Terrorism Act days after the group's activists claimed to be behind a break-in at an air force base in southern England. Two aircraft there were sprayed with red paint, causing an estimated £7 million ($9.55 million) in damage. Four people charged in relation to the incident remain in custody. Palestine Action has condemned its outlawing -- which makes it a criminal offence to belong to or support the group, punishable by up to 14 years in prison -- as an attack on free speech. jj/jj
Malay Mail
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Pro-Gaza activists detained across five cities as UK enforces terror ban on protest group Palestine Action
LONDON, July 13 — Police in several British cities yesterday arrested scores of people for supporting Palestine Action, following a second consecutive weekend of protests over the government's decision to ban the activist group using anti-terror laws. Campaign group Defend Our Juries, which had announced the rallies 'to defy' the ban, said 86 people had been arrested across five different cities. They included four vicars, a lawyer, a civil servant, a social worker, a mechanical engineer and the daughter of a Polish resistance fighter, as well as veterans of the 1960s civil rights movement, the group added. 'We will not be deterred from opposing genocide, nor from defending those who refuse to be bystanders,' the group said in a statement, referring to accusations levelled against Israel over its war in Gaza. The protesters were also taking a stand 'against the corruption of democracy and the rule of law', it added. In London, the Metropolitan Police said its officers had made 41 arrests for 'showing support for a proscribed organisation'. Another person was arrested for common assault, the force added. Footage showed police moving in on a small group of protesters displaying signs supporting Palestine Action. They had gathered at lunchtime at the steps of the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament Square. Greater Manchester Police arrested 16 people, while officers in the Welsh capital Cardiff detained 13, all for the same offence under the 2000 Terrorism Act, both forces confirmed. 'South Wales Police supports the right for people to make their voices heard through protest providing it is done lawfully,' said a police statement. Police have warned that expressing support for Palestine Action would be a criminal offence after the ban kicked in last weekend. — AFP pic Support now a crime The other arrests occurred in the Northern Irish city Londonderry — also known as Derry — and Leeds, in northern England, according to Defend Our Juries. They come a week after 29 similar arrests at protests staged last Saturday, mainly in London. Since the Palestine Action ban kicked in on July 5, police have warned that expressing support for the group was now a crime, after a last-ditch High Court challenge failed to stop its proscription becoming law. The government announced plans for the ban under the 2000 Terrorism Act days after the group's activists claimed to be behind a break-in at an air force base in southern England. Two aircraft there were sprayed with red paint, causing an estimated £7 million (RM40.6 million) in damage. Four people charged in relation to the incident remain in custody. Palestine Action has condemned its outlawing — which makes it a criminal offence to belong to or support the group, punishable by up to 14 years in prison — as an attack on free speech. — AFP
The Sun
6 hours ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Police arrest Palestine Action supporters in UK protests
LONDON: Police in multiple British cities arrested dozens of Palestine Action supporters during protests against the group's ban under anti-terror laws. Campaign group Defend Our Juries reported 86 arrests, including professionals and activists. The arrests spanned London, Manchester, Cardiff, Londonderry, and Leeds. In London, 41 were detained for backing a proscribed group, while another faced assault charges. Protesters gathered near Parliament Square, displaying signs near the Mahatma Gandhi statue. Greater Manchester Police confirmed 16 arrests, and Cardiff officers detained 13 under the Terrorism Act 2000. South Wales Police reiterated support for lawful protest but emphasized enforcement of the ban. Defend Our Juries highlighted diverse arrestees, from clergy to civil rights veterans, stating, 'We will not be deterred from opposing genocide.' The group linked protests to accusations against Israel's Gaza campaign and democratic concerns. Last week, 29 were arrested in similar demonstrations. The ban, effective July 5, followed Palestine Action's alleged vandalism of an airbase, causing £7 million in damage. Four suspects remain in custody. Palestine Action condemned the ban, calling it a free speech violation. Supporting the group now carries a 14-year prison sentence. - AFP
CTV News
10 hours ago
- Politics
- CTV News
More than 70 arrested at U.K. protests in support of banned group Palestine Action
People take part in a protest in support of 'Palestine Action', organised by the Defend Our Juries group, in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament Square in London, England, Saturday, July 5, 2025. (Jeff Moore/PA via AP) LONDON — More than 70 people were arrested Saturday at protests in the U.K. against the Palestine Action group being proscribed a terrorist organization by the British government following a break-in and vandalism at a Royal Air Force base. In London, the Metropolitan Police said 42 people had been arrested by late afternoon. All but one of the arrests were for showing support for a proscribed organization, 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 organization is deemed a criminal offense. 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 organizations are already proscribed under the U.K. 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 7 million pounds (US$9.4 million) of damage. Four people between 22 and 35 years old were charged with conspiracy to commit criminal damage and conspiracy to enter a prohibited place for purposes prejudicial to the interests of the U.K. The four are scheduled to appear on July 18 at the Central Criminal Court in London, better known as the Old Bailey. By Pan Pylas.
