British police arrested around 425 people yesterday at a demonstration in support of Palestine Action, in the latest round of detentions of its supporters since the pro-Palestinian group was banned by the government as a terrorist organisation.
Britain banned Palestine Action under anti-terrorism legislation in July after some of its members broke into a Royal Air Force base and damaged military planes.
The group, which has also targeted defence firms in Britain with links to Israel, accuses Britain’s government of complicity in what it says are Israeli war crimes in Gaza.
Police have arrested hundreds of Palestine Action supporters in recent weeks under anti-terrorism legislation, including more than 500 in just one day last month, many of them over the age of 60.
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered near parliament in central London yesterday to protest against the ban, with many holding up signs that said: “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.”
London’s Metropolitan Police said people had been detained for a number of offences including assaulting police officers and supporting a proscribed organisation.
“Officers ... have been subjected to an exceptional level of abuse including punches, kicks, spitting and objects being thrown, in addition to verbal abuse,” police said in a post on X.
Palestine Action’s ban, or proscription, puts the group alongside Al Qaeda and ISIS and makes it a crime to support or belong to the organisation, punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
Police had warned ahead of yesterday’s demonstration that anyone showing support for the group would be arrested.
Human rights groups have criticised Britain’s decision to ban the group as disproportionate and say it limits the freedom of expression of peaceful protesters.
The government has accused Palestine Action of causing millions of pounds worth of criminal damage and says the ban does not prevent other pro-Palestinian protests.
Meanwhile, the British factory of a major Israeli weapons manufacturer has apparently closed after being repeatedly targeted by Palestine Action, The Guardian reported yesterday.
Elbit Systems UK has held the lease on the site in Bristol’s Aztec West business park since 2019, and it was not due to expire until 2029.
The factory was targeted by dozens of protests by the banned group Palestine Action, involving demonstrators locking themselves to hinges, climbing on the roof, smashing windows and spraying red paint across the site.
Elbit Systems UK is a subsidiary of Elbit Systems, Israel’s biggest producer of weapons that reported revenues of $6.8 billion last year.
The firm describes itself as the “backbone” of the Israeli military’s drone fleet, which has been deployed extensively in Gaza.
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