Over 100 arrested in London after court rules Palestine Action ban lawful

More than 100 people have been arrested in London after a court ruled that the UK government’s proscription of the activist group Palestine Action under terrorism legislation was lawful.

The Metropolitan Police said it accepted the ruling and warned that anyone expressing support for the group would face arrest, The Standart reports. 

The Court of Appeal’s decision followed an earlier High Court ruling in February that had found the ban unlawful. That ruling had argued the proscription under the Terrorism Act 2000 did not properly balance human rights considerations and had contributed to what campaigners described as a “culture of fear” among supporters of Palestinian rights.

Following the latest judgment, police arrested 117 people on suspicion of expressing support for a proscribed organisation during a protest outside the courts.

Since the group was banned on July 5 last year, membership of or support for Palestine Action has been a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Authorities have since carried out more than 3,000 arrests linked to demonstrations in support of the group nationwide, including approximately 2,500 in London.

Hundreds of additional arrests have been made at various protests where participants displayed placards or wore badges and clothing expressing support for Palestine Action.

The legal dispute over the ban has involved multiple court rulings. On June 15, the Court of Appeal upheld the UK Home Office’s position that the proscription was lawful, overturning the earlier High Court decision. The Home Office had appealed after the February ruling, which had initially ruled against the ban.

The judgment followed earlier criminal proceedings in which four Palestine Action activists were jailed for a break-in at the UK facility of Israeli defence firm Elbit Systems.

By Sabina Mammadli