Police have begun to arrest supporters of Palestine Action at a protest in London’s Parliament Square.
More than 500 people are expected to hold up placards supporting the proscribed organisation at the event in Parliament Square, organised by legal campaign group Defend Our Juries.
The Metropolitan Police said one person has so far been arrested at the separate Palestine Coalition march, which set off from Russell Square heading to Whitehall via Aldwych and the Strand.
The arrest was “for a placard showing support for Palestine Action”, the force said.
The ban on Palestine Action means that membership, or support for, the group is a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison, under the Terrorism Act 2000.
It comes days after the first three people to be charged with supporting the group in England and Wales were named.
Jeremy Shippam, 71, Judit Murray, also 71, and Fiona Maclean, 53, have all been charged with displaying an article in a public place, arousing reasonable suspicion that they are a supporter of a proscribed organisation after their attendance at a previous demonstration last month.
Protesters sit with placards supporting of Palestive Action at the Lift The Ban demonstration (Photo: Chris J Ratcliffe/AFP)More than 200 people have been arrested in the wave of Defend Our Juries protests across the UK since the ban was implemented by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper last month.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan said: “The Met is very experienced at dealing with large-scale protests, including where the protest activity crosses into criminality, requiring arrests.”
“Anyone showing support for Palestine Action can expect to be arrested. I would once again urge people to consider the seriousness of that outcome,” he added.
“An arrest under the Terrorism Act can have very real long-term implications – from travel, to employment, to finances. Also, as we have seen this week, it is very likely an arrest in these circumstances will lead to a charge.”
A Home Office spokesperson said the ban on Palestine Action was “not about Palestine” and that it “does not affect the Palestinian rights.”
A woman is led away by police officers at the protest in Parliament Square (Photo: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire)“It only applies to the specific and narrow organisation whose activities do not reflect or represent the thousands of people across the country who continue to exercise their fundamental rights to protest on different issues,” they added.
“Freedom to protest is a cornerstone of our democracy and we protect it fiercely.”
The decision to proscribe the group was based on “strong security advice” following “serious attacks” by activists, they said.
Palestine Action also had “worrying” plans for future attacks which cannot yet be reported due to ongoing legal proceedings, the spokesperson added.
The Metropolitan Police said it has drawn officers in from other forces to help form a “significant policing presence” in the capital, as it faces a busy weekend.
The Met boosted the number of officers in the capital ahead of the protest (Photo: Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images)Two marches, organised by the Palestine Coalition and pro-Israeli group Stop the Hate, respectively, will also be held on consecutive days in the city centre.
Palestine Coalition supporters march this afternoon from Russell Square to Whitehall, where an assembly with speeches will take place.
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Public order conditions have been imposed on the march which means it must not form or begin before noon, protesters must not deviate from or stop to form assemblies along the agreed route and the protest must end by 5.30pm, the Met said.
On Sunday afternoon, Stop the Hate will hold a “national march for the hostages” in central London. There will be a policing and security operation in place to ensure the safety of participants, the Met said.
Officers will also be deployed in Canary Wharf in anticipation of a planned protest and possible counter protest over the use of hotels to accommodate asylum seekers.
Other major events in London this weekend include the Community Shield match between Liverpool and Crystal Palace at Wembley, which will require sizeable police resources.
“This is going to be a particularly busy few days in London with many simultaneous protests and events that will require a significant policing presence,” Mr Adelekan said.
“I’m grateful not just to the Met officers who will be working incredibly hard over the coming days but to those colleagues from other forces who have been deployed to London to support us.”
Additional reporting by PA
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