Dozens of protesters supporting Palestine Action were arrested in London on Sunday as they demonstrated in defiance of the British government’s move to classify the group as a proscribed terrorist organisation.
Following failures to legally challenge the terrorist classification, which prohibits people in the UK from supporting the group in any regard, supporters of Palestine Action gathered in London’s Parliament Square outside the House of Commons.
Protesters were seen waving placards with the message: “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action”.
The demonstration prompted at least 20 arrests from the Metropolitan Police, which said in a statement per Sky News: “The group is now proscribed and expressing support for them is a criminal offence… Arrests are being made.”
Earlier this week, Members of Parliament backed the government’s call for a ban on the group by a margin of 385 votes in favour to just 26 against.
Thus, Palestine Action is now on the same legal level as other banned Islamist terror groups like al Qaeda, ISIS, and Hezbollah. Those found to be members or supporters of the group now face up to 14 years in prison. Even wearing t-shirts or other symbols of the group can be punishable with up to six months behind bars.
While the group attempted to launch legal challenges at the High Court and the Court of Appeals, they were ultimately shot down, paving the way for the ban to come into effect at midnight on Saturday.
The move to ban Palestine Action came in the wake of members breaking into the Royal Air Force (RAF) Brize Norton station in Oxfordshire on June 20 and spray painting two Voyager aircraft. It has been alleged that their actions resulted in at least £7 million in damages.
The group has previously claimed responsibility for other vandalism, including at President Donald Trump’s Turnberry golf course in Scotland in March.
Other targets have included various defence contractors in Britain, which Palestine Action have claimed are supporting Israel’s war effort against the jihadist Hamas group in Palestine. Over the past five years, Palestine Action is alleged to have caused up to £55 million in damages during 356 attacks against defence firms and the British government.
According to The Times of London, Palestine Action founder Huda Ammori told supporters at a meeting on Friday that the group plans to ramp up their street presence to “make the ban unenforceable”.
“We will be resisting through the courts and we will take this the whole way. It is only the start. It is only the beginning. We will defeat this,” she said, adding: “We know how much support there is for Palestine Action. If they think we will clock off at midnight, then I think they are delusional.”
“Direct action as an action cannot be proscribed. They can proscribe Palestine Action, but they cannot categorise direct action against the Israeli war machine as terrorism.”
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