More than 20 people were arrested in London on July 5 during a protest in support of Palestine Action, as demonstrators gathered in defiance of a new law that designates the non-violent activist group a terrorist organisation.
For the first time, the UK government has designated a non-violent protest group as a terrorist organisation. The decision followed a failed last-minute legal challenge on July 4, after the High Court rejected an attempt to block the ban under anti-terrorism laws.
As of July 5, membership in or public support for Palestine Action is a criminal offense in Britain, punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed arrests were made during a protest in Parliament Square and warned they would act on any criminal offenses related to support for proscribed organisations — with multiple public events scheduled across London.
"The group is now proscribed, and expressing support for them is a criminal offense," it said in a statement. "Arrests are being made."
Officers have arrested more than 20 people on suspicion of offenses under the Terrorism Act 2000.
It added: "There are a number of events taking place in London this weekend and anyone attending should be aware that officers policing these will act where criminal offenses, including those related to support of proscribed groups or organisations, are committed."
‘Draconian’
MPs overwhelmingly voted in favor of Home Secretary Yvette Cooper’s decision to proscribe the group under the Terrorism Act 2000 on July 2. The House of Lords has also approved the move.
The move has been condemned as “draconian” by UN experts, civil liberties organisations, cultural figures, with rights groups warning “gives the state carte blanche to target any protest that it finds objectionable without any legal constraints.”
They argue that it sets a dangerous precedent by conflating protest with terrorism.
Palestine Action said it is seeking an "urgent appeal to prevent a dystopian nightmare, which criminalises thousands of people overnight."
Another court hearing is scheduled for July 21, when the group will apply for permission to launch a judicial review in an effort to overturn the order.
“This ruling cements the UK’s trajectory toward becoming a police state with little tolerance for protest that challenges state interests,” says Anas Mustapha, Head of Public Advocacy at rights group CAGE International.
“Despite today’s decision, the struggle continues,” he added. “The movement to stop the genocide and dismantle the apartheid settler colonial Zionist entity will continue.”
Unless the review is successful, being a member of or inviting support for the group that protests Israeli genocide in Gaza will carry a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.
