Police have launched a massive arrest campaign to control a sit-in protest in Trafalgar Square in support of the banned group Palestine Action.
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Police have arrested more than 500 people at a protest in London on Saturday by supporters of the banned Palestine Action group. The police have launched a massive arrest operation to control a sit-in demonstration in Trafalgar Square in support of the banned group Palestine Action.
According to information provided by the London Metropolitan Police, a total of 523 people aged between 18 and 87 have been arrested by midnight. The protesters had gathered carrying placards in support of the banned group, which is considered a criminal activity under British law. Other participants cheered and clapped in support as the police took the protesters into custody.
Palestine Action was placed on the list of terrorist organizations last July. Under which supporting or membership of it is considered a serious crime and can be punished with up to 14 years in prison. However, the High Court of London ruled in February that the ban interfered with freedom of expression. The government has been allowed to appeal the decision.
Although arrests were temporarily suspended after the High Court ruling, the Metropolitan Police announced a crackdown in late March. The number of arrests at the protests has since increased sharply. Police say nearly 3,000 people have been arrested since the ban came into effect. Hundreds have been formally charged.
Protesters have described their actions as a moral duty. Freya, a 28-year-old from London who was at the forefront of the protests, said it was necessary to continue to protest against government policies. She made it clear that speaking out about the events in Gaza was a moral responsibility.
Denis McDermott, 73, from Edinburgh, said he had been arrested before but was not afraid to protest again. He believes that such protests would not be necessary if the judicial process had been clear. He pointed to other protesters and said he was on their side.
Protest organisers ‘Defend Our Jury’ said that hundreds of people attended Saturday’s event and were protesting the UK government’s role in Gaza policy. It also described the crackdown on peaceful protests as ‘wrongful repression’.
Human rights group Amnesty UK also criticised the police action, calling it an attack on civil liberties. The organisation, citing the arrests of elderly and vulnerable people in particular, accused it of repeating the government’s failed policy.
The ban on Palestine Action has sparked widespread debate in the UK. The list already includes groups such as Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah. The court has temporarily suspended all cases related to the group and is preparing to conduct a detailed review on July 30.
Palestine Action, founded in 2020, has been presenting itself as a group campaigning against military and industrial structures associated with Israel. Its activities are said to be specifically targeting structures associated with the Israeli defense company Elbit Systems.
