Over 425 arrests at London’s Palestine Action rally, police condemn abuse

London, Sep 7 (PTI) The Metropolitan Police on Sunday condemned the “intolerable” abuse suffered by officers who were “kicked and spat on” as they made over 425 arrests at a protest here against the banning of Palestine Action as a terror group.

Hundreds gathered at Parliament Square on Saturday to oppose the group's proscription by the UK government, holding placards such as “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action” in protest over the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Police had in August arrested a large number of people during a similar protest defying the ban on the same organisation.

While most of the arrests on Saturday were for supporting a proscribed organisation, and those people held under the Terrorism Act, a few were also arrested for assaults on police officers and other public order offences.

“In carrying out their duties, our officers have been punched, kicked, spat on and had objects thrown at them by protesters,” said Met Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Claire Smart, who led the policing operation.

“It is intolerable that those whose job it is to enforce the law and keep people safe – in this case arresting individuals committing offences under the Terrorism Act – should be subject to this level of abuse… “The tactics deployed by supporters of Palestine Action in their attempt to overwhelm the justice system, as well as the level of violence seen in the crowd, required significant resources which took officers out of neighbourhoods to the detriment of the Londoners who rely on them,” she said.

The Met Police said it had deployed more than 2,500 officers to manage protests across the UK capital on Saturday. The majority of protests, including the Palestine Coalition march attended by around 20,000 people, passed with very few arrests.

However, the protest organised by the Defend Our Juries organisation in support of the proscribed terrorist organisation Palestine Action saw the most arrests.

“Throughout the demonstration, there was a coordinated effort to prevent officers from carrying out their duties which escalated to violence where officers were punched, kicked, spat on and had objects thrown at them,” the Met Police said.

“More than 25 individuals have been arrested for assaults on police officers and other public order offences. Attacks on officers will not be tolerated and those responsible will be pursued to the full extent of the law,” the Met Police added.

Former home secretary Yvette Cooper had banned Palestine Action under the UK’s Terrorism Act in July, making membership of or support of the group a criminal offence, punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

A spokesperson for Defend Our Juries claimed their rally had been “the picture of peaceful protest” and that the Met Police's statement about its officers being abused was an “astonishing claim.” It has called on the new Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood – appointed in a reshuffle this week as Cooper moved to the Foreign Office, to lift the ban.

Elsewhere in the UK, Police Scotland made two arrests at a demonstration in Edinburgh, where dozens of people held signs showing support for Palestine Action.

Earlier on August 9 and 10 weekend, the Metropolitan Police arrested over 500 people during what was the UK’s largest protests in support of Palestine Action.

While 522 of those arrested during the demonstration in London were detained under the UK’s Terrorism Act for showing support for a proscribed group, others were held for other offences, including assaulting police officers. PTI AK GRS NPK NPK