London: Police in London arrested at least 41 people on Saturday for supporting the banned group Palestine Action at a protest outside parliament. Protesters have gathered for a second straight week to support the group, whose outlawing means any expression of support is now a criminal act.
According to Deutsche Welle, the arrests were part of a larger operation where a total of 86 individuals were detained across several cities. The activist group Defend Our Juries reported that those arrested included four vicars, a lawyer, a civil servant, a social worker, a mechanical engineer, and the daughter of a Polish resistance fighter. The group emphasized their resolve, stating, "We will not be deterred from opposing genocide, nor from defending those who refuse to be bystanders," in reference to accusations of genocide against Israel for its military actions in Gaza.
This marks the second consecutive week of protests in support of Palestine Action, with 29 people having been arrested at a similar demonstration the previous weekend. The Metropolitan Police had issued a statement on X ahead of the protest, warning that "it is a criminal offence to invite or express support for a proscribed organisation."
As Palestine Action has been officially designated as a terrorist group, being a member of or showing support for it is punishable by up to 14 years in prison, placing it in the same category as groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, al-Qaeda, and the so-called "Islamic State" (IS).
In addition to the arrests in London, 16 others were detained in northwest Manchester, and protests were also held in Wales and Northern Ireland. The British government's decision to ban Palestine Action followed a break-in and vandalism at a Royal Air Force base, where activists damaged planes used for refueling and transport, protesting the government's military support for Israel.
