Nearly 500 people have been arrested in central London during protests in support of the proscribed group Palestine Action, the Metropolitan Police has said.
Organisers Defend Our Juries said around 1,000 took part in demonstrations around Trafalgar Square backing Palestine Action – a group which was proscribed by the government in July making it illegal to show any support or affiliation to them.
The Met said 488 of the arrests were for supporting a proscribed organisation, with the the youngest person held being 18 and the oldest 89.
Demonstrations went ahead despite pleas from ministers and police who called for protests to be postponed following Thursday’s deadly synagogue attack in Manchester.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had urged protesters to “respect the grief of British Jews”, while Jewish figures also criticised the protests.
But Defend Our Juries member, Zoe Cohen, said as a Jewish person she is “grieving after the appalling synagogue attack” but also “grieving for the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who have been murdered, displaced and starved in Gaza”.
She added: “I think it’s possible for us to be compassionate and open our hearts to victims of multiple atrocities at one time.”
In the statement, released during the protest, she said “if today’s vigil had been cancelled we would have been letting terror win”.
Police said the bulk of those arrested were detained for gathering in Trafalgar Square; while six were arrested for unfurling a banner backing the proscribed group on Westminster Bridge earlier in the day.
The Met said each arrest took time because “many of those arrested won’t walk out of the square and need to be carried”.
This is a process which requires a minimum of five officers to do so safely, according to the Met.
Earlier on Saturday they said: “The majority of people still remaining in Trafalgar Square are onlookers who are not holding placards in support of Palestine Action.”
It added that a different protest group had gathered in Whitehall later that evening, “blocking the road before trying to march first towards Trafalgar Square, then Parliament Square”.
Public Order Act conditions were imposed on the Whitehall protest by police, which means protestors must leave the road and assemble on Richmond Terrace. Officers will open the road again when it is safe to do so.
Police said a total of 492 people were arrested on Saturday – with four of the arrests being for being drunk and disorderly, common assault, a public order offence and being wanted for an unrelated matter.
REUTERS
