42 Arrested At London Protest Supporting Palestine Action

Police confirmed that 42 people were arrested during the protest, 41 of them for supporting a proscribed organization. Demonstrators gathered around the statues of Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela in Parliament Square, holding signs such as “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action” and chanting in defiance of the government’s designation.

This is the second consecutive weekend such demonstrations have taken place since the U.K. Home Office outlawed Palestine Action. The ban followed a June 20 incident in which activists broke into RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and vandalized two aircraft using red paint and crowbars.

Authorities say the action caused £7 million ($9.4 million) in damage. Four suspects have been charged with conspiracy to commit criminal damage and conspiracy to enter a prohibited site and are scheduled to appear in court on July 18.

Legal And Political Fallout

Under the Terrorism Act 2000, showing public support for a proscribed group—including wearing its symbols or chanting its slogans—can result in a prison sentence of up to 14 years. Palestine Action joins 81 other banned organizations in the U.K., including Hamas and al-Qaida.

The group has frequently protested British weapons exports to Israel and targeted facilities linked to Elbit Systems, an Israeli arms manufacturer. Saturday’s protest was one of several planned nationwide, with others taking place in Manchester, Cardiff, and Londonderry.

As criticism grows over the government’s sweeping crackdown, human rights advocates have raised concerns about the implications for civil liberties and freedom of expression in the U.K.