In response to police’s warnings that those who show support for the proscribed activist group face arrest, protests are taking place all over the UK.
As part of a Defend Our Juries campaign coordinated by Defend Our Juries, demonstrations have been taking place on Saturday in London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Bristol, Truro, and London.
According to London’s Metropolitan Police, 55 people were detained on Saturday in Parliament Square after displaying placards in their support for the group.
At the same time last weekend, 70 people were detained at similar demonstrations in Parliament Square, according to the Met police, and 120 have been detained nationwide, according to Defend Our Juries.
The cofounder of Palestine Action, Huda Ammori, will ask for permission to challenge the home secretary’s decision to outlaw the organization under “anti-terror” laws at a High Court hearing on Monday.
According to the Terrorism Act of 2000, supporting or collaborating with the direct action group is now a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison, placing the organization on par with armed organizations like al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS).
Following the rallies, Westminster authorities increased their police presence.
On Saturday, a counterprotest by Stop the Hate, an anti-Israel organization, will also take place in London.
Those who support Palestine Action are likely to be committing an offence, according to Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan, who is also likely to be detained.
Five people showed up in court on Saturday over a Palestinian Action protest at the site of an Israeli-linked defense company.
According to “counter-terrorism” police, members of the organization are accused of breaking into the Elbit Systems site near Patchway, Bristol, on August 6, 2024, allegedly with sledgehammers and whips.
Police officers and a security guard were assaulted, according to the Westminster Magistrates’ Court, and more than $2 million in damages were caused ($2.68 million).
The alleged crimes have a “terrorist connection,” according to the prosecution. The five defendants face violent disorder, criminal damage, and aggravated burglary.
Palestine Action describes itself as a “pro-Palestinian organization that directly disrupts the British arms industry.”
It has organized hundreds of protests all over the UK since its founding in July 2020, with a particular focus on Elbit Systems, an Israeli arms manufacturer, to challenge the operations of businesses they claim profit from Israeli military operations.
The group’s typical methods include destroying equipment, chopping themselves to machinery, and painting buildings with red paint.
Source: Aljazeera
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