More than 460 people were arrested in central London at the largest demonstration relating to Palestine Action since the group was proscribed as a terrorist organisation.
On Saturday night, the Metropolitan Police said: “Parliament Square and Whitehall are clear. As of 9pm, 466 people had been arrested for showing support for Palestine Action.
“There were a further eight arrests for other offences including five assaults on officers.”
The Met said the total of 474 was the most arrests it had made related to a single operation in at least the past decade.
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Before the planned event, the Met said it had drawn officers from other forces to help form a “significant policing presence”. It was anticipated the event would result in large numbers of people being detained.
By Saturday afternoon, hundreds of people had gathered in Parliament Square for a demonstration organised by the campaign group Defend Our Juries, who said “approximately 1,000 sign-holders” had turned up.
[ Woman wearing Palestine Action T-shirt arrested in BelfastOpens in new window ]
The Met said it estimated 500-600 people were in Parliament Square when the demonstration began, but “many” were not taking part.
Protesters, some wearing black and white Palestinian scarves, chanted “shame on you” and “hands off Gaza”, and held signs such as, “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action”, video taken by Reuters at the scene showed.
In July, British politicians banned Palestine Action under anti-terrorism legislation after some of its members broke into a Royal Air Force base and damaged planes in protest against Britain’s support for Israel.
The ban makes it a crime to be a member of the group, carrying a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.
Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori last week secured leave to bring a legal challenge against the prohibition. – Guardian/Reuters
