More than 70 arrests at protests over Palestine Action ban

More than 70 people have been arrested at protests against Palestine Action being designated a proscribed terrorist group.

Protesters gathered for the second week in a row in central London, where the Metropolitan Police made 42 arrests.

Other demonstrations took place around the UK, including in Manchester, where police said 16 arrests were made, in Cardiff, where South Wales Police arrested 13 people, and in Leeds, where West Yorkshire Police made one arrest.

In London, two groups of protesters gathered underneath statues of Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela in Parliament Square, shortly before 1pm.

They wrote the message "I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action" on pieces of cardboard and silently held the signs in the air as they were surrounded by police officers and members of the media.

Some demonstrators could be seen lying on top of each other on the floor as police searched their bags, and took their ID cards and signs.

Officers then carried away a number of protesters, lifting them off the ground and into waiting police vans.

The last protester was lifted from the Nelson Mandela statue shortly after 2.30pm.

Forty-one of the 42 arrests at the London protest were for showing support for a proscribed organisation, while one person was arrested for common assault, the Met Police said.

Read more:
Palestine Action has been proscribed - but what does that mean?

Palestine Action's terror group designation means membership of, or support for, the group is a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

Greater Manchester Police said it had arrested 16 people under the Terrorism Act 2000 after responding to a protest in St Peter's Square at around 2.30pm.

South Wales Police confirmed 13 people were arrested on suspicion of offences under the same act in the vicinity of Central Square in Cardiff.

West Yorkshire Police said a person was arrested in Leeds on suspicion of demonstrating support for Palestine Action.

The Met Police arrested 29 people at a similar protest last weekend.

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Scotland Yard has said its stance remains that officers will act where criminal offences, including support of proscribed groups or organisations, are committed.

It added that this includes "chanting, wearing clothing or displaying articles such as flags, signs or logos".

The move to ban Palestine Action came after two aircraft were damaged at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire last month.

Police said the incident caused around £7m worth of damage.

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