‘Palestine Action’ marchers - arrests today.

Not seen the news yet. I’m a tad conflicted about proscribing and the costs involved in policing, processing. Palestine - Israel is such an emotive subject. Of course pro
Palestine, anti Israel people will get themselves arrested, clog up our clogged up court system.
What to do to change it - free the hostages, stop Israel bombing, stop the war

More than 500 protesters gathered in Parliament Square today, turning their backs on Parliament because “Parliament turned against the people” and writing “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action” on cardboard placards as Big Ben struck 1pm.
By 2pm, when the organised action ended, the majority had not been arrested, suggesting the police - who faced protesters shouting “fascist scum” and “who do you protect?” - were not equipped to deal with the scale of the action, despite claiming last week that they would arrest everyone who took part.

While many van loads of protesters were taken away, in what could still be the biggest mass arrest in Met police history, others dropped their signs and left voluntarily, with cheers erupting from the crowd. Others chose to stay and face arrest.
The action was organised by Defend Our Juries (DOJ), a protest group that has coordinated challenges to the ban almost every week since Palestine Action was proscribed on 5 July, but it far exceeded past actions in terms of scale.

On Thursday, Amnesty International urged the police to show restraint. In a letter to Met commissioner Mark Rowley, Amnesty’s UK’s chief executive, Sacha Deshmukh, said that arresting “*protesters who are merely carrying placards that state they oppose genocide and support Palestine Action… flies in the face of international human rights law.*
”
On Wednesday, DOJ announced that it had reached its target of 500 sign-ups. A day later, in what appeared to be a desperate bid to deter participants, the Crown Prosecution Service publicly announced that it had decided to charge three people with defying the ban for the first time.

On 30 July, a high court judge said a judicial review of the Palestine Action ban could go ahead in November, but it denied a request to suspend the proscription until the hearing.
If the ban is found to be unlawful, it is unclear if the arrests made under it will also be deemed unlawful. Amnesty has implied this could be the case.

Thank you Claremont for this clarification.

Breaking News:
Arrest number rises to 200, Met confirms
The number of people arrested at today’s protest has risen to 200, the Metropolitan Police have said.

In a statement, the force responded to a claim by Defend Our Juries, the protest’s organiser, that police were only able to detain “a fraction” of those breaking the law.

It said: “We’re aware of a statement by Defend our Juries [the organisers of today’s protest] claiming we were only able to arrest ‘a fraction’ of those breaking the law in Parliament Square this afternoon.

“That claim simply isn’t true.

“We estimate there were around 500 to 600 people in Parliament Square when the protest began, but many were onlookers, media or people not holding placards in support of Palestine Action.”

The force said it was confident that anyone expressing support for the proscribed group had been arrested or was in the process of being arrested.

It added: “As of 15:40, the number of arrests for showing support for a proscribed organisation was 200, with more to follow.

“After arrest, they were taken to prisoner processing points in the Westminster area. Those whose details could be confirmed were bailed, with conditions not to attend any further protest in support of Palestine Action.

“I wish they get on with it. How long does it take to arrest someone?” said a middle-aged woman, holding an “I support Palestine Action” sign.

Hours and hours I hope love. Kettle you all in a field, make you wait, arrest each one of you fully and thoroughly …

I take exception to protesters shouting fascist scum, who do you protect at police officers who are attempting to enforce the law and keep the peace, oh yes and achieve this whilst policing with consent.

My understanding is the organisation was proscribed because it was believed to pose a threat. Given the break in and damage to plane engines, their determination to push it to the limit maybe we are heading for civil disobedience on a grand scale
What with this group and those demonstrating at hotels etc, I pity our under resourced, overstretched police and. Riminal justice system

I can't begin to imagine how hard it must be to police such protests, and also to judge who is genuinely on which side. On the face of it, it would be so easy for someone to pretend to be on the the opposite side, just to stir up trouble and discredit that group!

I truly believe we are seeing civil disobedience ,

Iam64

I take exception to protesters shouting fascist scum, who do you protect at police officers who are attempting to enforce the law and keep the peace, oh yes and achieve this whilst policing with consent.

My understanding is the organisation was proscribed because it was believed to pose a threat. Given the break in and damage to plane engines, their determination to push it to the limit maybe we are heading for civil disobedience on a grand scale
What with this group and those demonstrating at hotels etc, I pity our under resourced, overstretched police and. Riminal justice system

I absolutely agree.

Quote Oldnproud Sat 09-Aug-25 20:07:49
I can't begin to imagine how hard it must be to police such protests, and also to judge who is genuinely on which side. On the face of it, it would be so easy for someone to pretend to be on the the opposite side, just to stir up trouble and discredit that group!

Who / what is on the opposite side ?

Yes, it must be very difficult.

Do you think 87 year old Stephen Kapos is a trouble maker?

Of course, in any group, there can be a few that go too far, and cause damage or offense to others. In the case of EDL and Yaxley-Lennon- the whole group are hell bent on causing mayhem and inciting hatred. Those who support Palestine are not advocating violence towards Jews in the UK, or Israel for that matter- if they are not involved in this diabolical genocide.

I fully support all the people peacefully protesting about the genocide in Gaza. The Government need to know the strength of feeling about the Palestinians.

mumofmadboys

I fully support all the people peacefully protesting about the genocide in Gaza. The Government need to know the strength of feeling about the Palestinians.

Yes

mumofmadboys Sun 10-Aug-25 07:30:31
I fully support all the people peacefully protesting about the genocide in Gaza. The Government need to know the strength of feeling about the Palestinians

Why not just protest? They supported terrorists having rights to protest

The Government would do better to listen to the people protesting about illegal migrants being dumped in their towns and cities and recognise the strength of feeling that is motivating them.

eazybee

The Government would do better to listen to the people protesting about illegal migrants being dumped in their towns and cities and recognise the strength of feeling that is motivating them.

And therein lies the problem - they don't listen, about anything.

I think the government does understand that some people object strongly to asylum seekers being housed in their communities and I think they also understand that many people are supportive of helping Palestinians, especially those who currently live in Gaza. What they don't do is conflate the two separate issues, neither should we, they have nothing in common apart from the Gazans will become refugees if Netanyahu succeeds in driving them out of Gaza.

A wicked waste of time and money engineered by a crowd of political activists and virtue-signallers deliberately and unnecessarily breaking the law, when the police, and later the courts, should be been investigating real crime and violence.

eazybee Sun 10-Aug-25 08:24:08
A wicked waste of time and money engineered by a crowd of political activists and virtue-signallers deliberately and unnecessarily breaking the law, when the police, and later the courts, should be been investigating real crime and violence.

👏👏👏 agree.

I feel like commentating on these protests, indeed commentating on the whole hideous situation has become almost a form of entertainment.

Anniebach

mumofmadboys Sun 10-Aug-25 07:30:31
I fully support all the people peacefully protesting about the genocide in Gaza. The Government need to know the strength of feeling about the Palestinians

Why not just protest? They supported terrorists having rights to protest

Who is "They" and who "supported terrorists"?

I am quite sure the vast majority of the people at the protests in London are not in favour of supporting terrorism at all. They just want a peaceful end to the situation and no more innocent people killed .

Do I think an 87 year old can be a troublemaker?

Gosh, yes!

You know I wouldn’t want anyone to patronise me because of my age😬

Quote NotSpaghetti Sun 10-Aug-25 09:02:09
Anniebach
mumofmadboys Sun 10-Aug-25 07:30:31
I fully support all the people peacefully protesting about the genocide in Gaza. The Government need to know the strength of feeling about the Palestinians

Why not just protest? They supported terrorists having rights to protest
Who is "They" and who "supported terrorists"?

Palestinian Action and the marchers yesterday who said they
supported Palestinian Action,

The disgraceful attack on Brize Norton in the early hours of the morning on Friday 20 June is the latest in a long history of unacceptable criminal damage committed by Palestine Action. The UK’s defence enterprise is vital to the nation’s national security and this Government will not tolerate those who put that security at risk.