Police have begun arrests at a rally in support of the pro-Palestinian movement „Action in Palestine“ in London. Hundreds of supporters of the organization gathered near Parliament Square opposite the Palace of Westminster, protesting against its ban.
Activists holding placards reading „I am against genocide, I support „Action in Palestine“, staged a sit-in protest. Police officers are detaining one person from the crowd at a time and taking them to police cars on duty nearby. The number of detainees now stands at dozens of demonstrators, including pensioners.
Many of the demonstrators also came with Palestinian flags and banners with inscriptions “Stop the genocide now“, “Stop the starvation of Gaza“, “Stop the arms supply to Israel“. They chant slogans “Freedom for Palestine“, and the arrests are met with shouts of “Shame“, addressed to the police. At the same time, a rally of thousands of people is being held near the residence of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in solidarity with Palestine.
On July 5, the “Action in Palestine“ movement was added to the list of organizations, banned in the UK, at the suggestion of Home Secretary Yvette Cooper. Her initiative was supported by both houses of parliament. Membership of the organisation, attendance at its meetings and any form of support for its activities have become a crime, with a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison.
On 20 June, activists from “Action in Palestine“ entered the “Brize Norton“ airbase in Oxfordshire, southern England, and damaged two Royal Air Force “Voyager“ tanker aircraft. The movement explained its actions by stating that London was “complicit in the genocide in Gaza and war crimes in the Middle East“ because “it continues to send military supplies, fly reconnaissance aircraft over the enclave and refuel American or Israeli fighter jets“.
Since the movement was banned, more than 100 people have been detained at protests in support of it. This week, the first three protesters, including two pensioners, were charged with violating the Terrorism Act. Activists from “Action in Palestine“ said they would not stop the protests because they intended to overload the British judicial system, forcing the authorities to lift the ban.
