Over 500 Arrested at London Rally Supporting Palestine Action Group

London Police Arrest Over 500 Pro-Palestinian Protesters at Trafalgar Square Demonstration

More than 500 people were arrested by police in London during a sit-down demonstration in Trafalgar Square on Saturday, with the majority of those detained being supporters of the Palestine Action group. The protesters, who held placards supporting the group, faced arrest for their actions.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed that 523 arrests were made, ranging in age from 18 to 87. Palestine Action was designated a “terrorist” organization in July, but the High Court overturned this designation in mid-February, citing concerns over free speech. The government has since appealed the ruling.

Despite the ban being lifted, police resumed enforcement in late March. Protesters, including Freya, manager of a London environmental organization, expressed their commitment to opposing genocide and supporting Palestine Action. Denis MacDermot, 73, from Edinburgh, also participated in the demonstration despite having previously been arrested.

Defend Our Juries, the protest organizers, stated that hundreds of people attended the demonstration to oppose what they described as “the UK Government’s complicity in Israel’s genocide in Gaza and the misguided crackdown on peaceful protest at home.” Amnesty International UK condemned the arrests, stating that they represented “yet another blow to civil liberties.”

A judge has suspended all trials of those charged with supporting Palestine Action, scheduling a review for July 30. The group was founded in 2020 and aims to end “global participation in Israel’s genocidal and apartheid regime.”

Source: Al Jazeera