On September 6th, protesters gathered at Parliament Square in central London in support of the banned 'Palestinian Action' organization.
The British police have arrested over 425 people in support of the 'Operation Palestine' demonstration, marking the latest round of detention of supporters since the organization was classified as a terrorist organization by the British government.
According to Reuters, hundreds of protesters gathered near the Parliament House in central London on Saturday (September 6) to protest against the government's previous ban on the organization. Many people held signs that read 'I oppose genocide. I support the Palestinian movement'.
The police had warned before the demonstration that anyone who showed support for the 'Palestinian Action' would be arrested.
The London Metropolitan Police said that someone has been detained for multiple crimes, including assaulting police officers and supporting banned organizations.
The police... were subjected to extremely serious attacks, including punching, kicking, spitting, throwing objects, and verbal abuse, "according to a police social media post
In July of this year, due to some members of the "Operation Palestine" breaking into a Royal Air Force base and damaging military aircraft, the UK banned them under anti-terrorism laws.
The organization also attacked British defense companies with ties to Israel and accused the British government of involvement in Israel's war crimes in Gaza.
According to the law, supporting or joining a banned organization can result in a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison. The ban on 'Operation Palestine' puts it in the same category as al Qaeda and ISIS.
Human rights groups criticize the UK's decision as excessive, stating that it restricts the freedom of speech of peaceful protesters. The government accuses the 'Palestinian Action' of causing millions of pounds in criminal losses and emphasizes that the ban does not hinder other pro Palestinian protests.
In recent weeks, the police have arrested hundreds of supporters of the "Palestinian Action" under anti-terrorism laws, and over 100 people have been charged for supporting the organization. Among them, more than 500 people were arrested in just one day last month, many of whom were over 60 years old.
|