More than 70 people were arrested at protests in England and Wales today against Palestine Action being designated a proscribed terror group.
Protesters have gathered for the second week in a row to support the group – after police said showing support for Palestine Action would be a criminal offence.
42 arrests were made in London, with a further 16 made in Manchester and 13 others were arrested in Cardiff.
Two groups of protesters in London gathered underneath the Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela statues in Parliament Square, writing ‘I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action’ on cardboard.
Some demonstrators could be seen lying on top of each other on the floor as police searched their bags and took their ID cards and handmade signs.
Officers could then be seen carrying away several protesters who were lying down, lifting them off the ground and into waiting police vans parked around the square.
Other standing protesters were also led away from the statues and placed into the vans.
All but one of the 42 arrests were for showing support for a proscribed organisation, while one person was arrested for common assault, the Met said in a post shared on X.
Greater Manchester Police said it had arrested 16 people under the Terrorism Act after responding to a protest in St Peter’s Square, Manchester, at around 2.30 pm on Saturday.
South Wales Police also confirmed 13 people were arrested on suspicion of committing offences under the same Act during a protest in the vicinity of Central Square, Cardiff.
Scotland Yard said its stance remains that officers will act where criminal offences, including support of proscribed groups or organisations, are committed.
The force added that this includes ‘chanting, wearing clothing or displaying articles such as flags, signs or logos.’
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It comes as Israeli airstrikes killed at least 28 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, including four children, hospital officials said on Saturday, while 31 others were fatally shot on their way to aid distribution sites.
The children and two women were among at least 13 people who were killed in Deir al-Balah, in central Gaza, after Israeli airstrikes pounded the area starting late on Friday, officials in Al-Aqsa Martyr’s Hospital said.
Fifteen others died in Israeli airstrikes in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, according to Nasser Hospital.
Separately, at least 31 people were killed on their way to a food distribution site near Rafah, said hospital officials and witnesses, including those wounded.
The Red Cross said its field hospital saw its largest influx of dead in more than a year of operation after the shootings, and that the overwhelming majority of the more than 100 people hurt had gunshot wounds.
The Israeli military said it had fired warning shots toward people it said were behaving suspiciously to prevent them from approaching. It added it was not aware of any casualties from the incident.
Witnesses there said they were on their way to the site seeking food and were shot at.
Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people in their October 7, 2023, attack on Israel and abducted 251.
Israel’s offensive has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
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