UK police say almost 900 arrests made at Palestine Action demo
AFP | London
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A total of 890 people were arrested in London during a protest this weekend in support of the banned group Palestine Action, the capital’s Metropolitan Police said yesterday.
The force said 857 people had been arrested under anti-terror laws for supporting a proscribed group during Saturday’s demonstration, with an additional 33 arrested for other offences including assaults on police officers.
“We have a duty to enforce the law without fear or favour. If you advertise that you are intending to commit a crime, we have no option but to respond accordingly,” deputy assistant commissioner Claire Smart said in a statement.
The government in July proscribed Palestine Action under the UK’s Terrorism Act of 2000 following several acts of vandalism, including against two planes at a Royal Air Force base, which caused an estimated £7 million ($10 million) in damage.
Critics, including the United Nations, have condemned the ban as legal overreach and a threat to free speech, but ministers insist that people are still able to attend pro-Palestinian marches.
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