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Campaigners are bracing for potentially hundreds of arrests this Saturday in Parliament Square, after 500 people committed to holding up signs in support of the banned direct action group Palestine Action.
Activists will join a peaceful protest outside Parliament at 1pm on Saturday, organised by the Defend Our Juries campaign, where they will sit in silence holding signs supporting proscribed ‘terror’ group Palestine Action, and saying they “oppose the genocide” in Gaza.
In a statement on Wednesday (6th August), a Met Police spokesperson told this outlet: “Anyone showing support for the group can expect to be arrested.”
Expressing support for a designated terrorist organisation can result in a 14 year prison sentence. England’s prisons are currently running near full capacity.
At recent protests against the PA ban, police responses have varied dramatically across locations. Some forces – including Derry in Northern Ireland and Edinburgh in Scotland – have used their “common sense” Crosland says and avoided mass arrests, whilst others including the Met Police have arrested swathes of participants under counter-terror legislation.
However, it is understood that no one has yet been charged, with the Crown Prosecution Service potentially waiting on the November High Court ruling to decide whether to prosecute.
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Arrestees have also faced different treatment when in custody, with some released quickly, while others have allegedly been held beyond normal 24-hour limits. In Cardiff, several participants’ homes were raided while in custody, Crosland told reporters.
Other protesters will be breaching bail conditions by attending Saturday’s protest, potentially facing more severe sentences if they are eventually convicted.
But if the proscription order is ruled unlawful later this year, previous arrests could be deemed unlawful, and grounds for compensation claims against police forces, worth several thousand pounds per person based on similar cases.
In a press conference on Thursday, organisers warned that the recent ban of Palestine Action as a ‘terrorist’ organisation would have “chilling” effects on other protest groups.
Responding to a question from Byline Times, Defend Our Juries founder Tim Crosland said: “Once you remove that definition of terrorism [as] deliberate violence targeted against a civilian population, which until this point is what it’s meant, and you allow it to include people causing economic damage or embarrassment to those in power, that could [include] Defend Our Juries.”
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“We had three thousand people sitting in the Strand in January [backing climate activists] – that must have caused some economic disruption. So yes, it could be Defend Our Juries next. It could be the unions next. It could be the racial and climate justice campaigns next. That’s why it’s so vital that everybody tries to take a stand now,” Crosland added.
Palestine Action was founded in July 2020 as a direct action campaign targeting Elbit Systems, described as Britain’s biggest weapons producer making weapons “battle tested” in Gaza.
PA targeted the company’s manufacturing sites before ultimately being accused of breaking into RAF Brize Norton in July, and allegedly causing £7m damage by spray-painting military planes. Labour Home Secretary Yvette Cooper quickly pushed through a ‘proscription order’ outlawing the group and criminalising its supporters.
Speaking at the press conference, PA founder Huda Ammori claimed that over five years, Palestine Action permanently shut down two Israeli-linked weapons factories, severed “dozens” of contracts with Elbit Systems, and cost the company billions in lost work.
Palestine Action has now been granted permission for a judicial review of their designation as a terrorist organisation, which is scheduled for November, based on two grounds: disproportionality to freedom of expression/assembly and a failure to consult.
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The Home Secretary Yvette Cooper stands accused of consulting with Elbit Systems, the Israeli Government, and other weapons firms – but not any human rights organisations or Palestine Action itself.
Consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Alice Clack, a climate activist, says she will be taking part in Saturday’s demonstration. She is clear that any terrorism conviction could lead to her suspension or removal from the medical register through the General Medical Council process.
Yvette Cooper has made public references to “disturbing information” about Palestine Action’s future plans, and briefings have appeared in the press alluding to Iranian funding for the group – which is strongly denied by founder Ammori and former figures. Ammori argues this evidence has not been disclosed in the ongoing court appeal.
This week, Nigel Farage reportedly referred to a high-profile Muslim backer of the campaign – CAGE director and former Guantanamo prison inmate Moazzam Begg – to police, but apparently not non-Muslim organisers.
A letter from more than 300 prominent Jewish community members, including top human rights lawyers, has called for Palestine Action’s de-proscription.
Commenting on Saturday’s planned demonstration, a Met Police spokesperson added: “We are aware that the organisers of Saturday’s planned protest are encouraging hundreds of people turn out with the intention of placing a strain on the police and the wider criminal justice system.
“The Met is very experienced in dealing with large scale protests, including where the protest activity crosses into criminality requiring arrests.
“While we will not go into the specific details of our plan, the public can be assured that we will have the resources and processes in place to respond to any eventuality.
“Our officers will continue to apply the law in relation to Palestine Action as we have done since its proscription.”
Got a story? Get in touch in confidence on josiah@bylinetimes.com
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