Police in London arrested at least 200 people Saturday for supporting Palestine Action at the latest and largest protest backing the group since the government banned it last month under anti-terror laws.
The UK capital鈥檚 Metropolitan Police said it expected to make further arrests at the demonstration in Parliament Square, as organisers claimed only a 鈥榝raction鈥� of the hundreds who turned out had been detained.
鈥楾hat claim simply isn鈥檛 true,鈥� the Met said in a statement, noting some of those there were onlookers or not visibly supporting Palestine Action.
鈥榃e are confident that anyone who came to Parliament Square today [Saturday] to hold a placard expressing support for Palestine Action was either arrested or is in the process of being arrested.鈥�
The government banned the group days after several of its activists broke into an air force base in southern England, causing an estimated 拢7 million of damage to two aircraft.
Britain鈥檚 interior ministry reiterated ahead of Saturday鈥檚 protests that its members were also suspected of other 鈥榮erious attacks鈥� that involved 鈥榲iolence, significant injuries and extensive criminal damage鈥�.
But critics, including the United Nations and NGOs like Amnesty International and Greenpeace, have lambasted the move as legal overreach and a threat to free speech.
A group called Defend our Juries, which organised Saturday鈥檚 protests and previous demonstrations against the ban, said 鈥榰nprecedented numbers鈥� had risked 鈥榓rrest and possible imprisonment鈥� to 鈥榙efend this country鈥檚 ancient liberties鈥�.
鈥榃e will keep going. Our numbers are already growing for the next wave of action in September,鈥� it added.
Attendees began massing near parliament at lunchtime bearing signs saying 鈥榦ppose genocide, support Palestine Action鈥� and other slogans, and waving Palestinian flags.
Psychotherapist Craig Bell, 39, was among those holding a placard.
He branded the ban 鈥榓bsolutely ridiculous鈥�.
鈥榃hen you compare Palestine Action with an actual terrorist group who are killing civilians and taking lives, it鈥檚 just a joke that they鈥檙e being prescribed a terrorist group,鈥� he told AFP.
As police moved in on the demonstrators, they applauded those being arrested and shouted 鈥榮hame on you鈥� at officers.
鈥楲et them arrest us all,鈥� said Richard Bull, 42, a wheelchair-user in attendance. 鈥楾his government has gone too far. I have nothing to feel ashamed of.鈥�
London鈥檚 Met Police and other UK forces have made scores of similar arrests on previous weekends since the government outlawed Palestine Action on July 5.
Anyone, expressing support for a proscribed group, risks arrest under UK anti-terror laws.
Police announced this week that the first three people had been charged in the English and Welsh criminal justice system with supporting Palestine Action following their arrests at a July 5 demo.
Being a member or supporting the group is now a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
Seven people have so far been charged in Scotland, which has a separate legal system.
Amnesty International UK chief executive Sacha Deshmukh wrote to Met Police chief Mark Rowley this week urging restraint be exercised when policing people holding placards expressing support for Palestine Action.
The NGO has argued arrests of such people are in breach of international human rights law.
A UK court challenge against the decision to proscribe Palestine Action will be heard later this year.
