London Police make more than 200 arrests over Palestine Action support

Metropolitan Police in London have arrested over 200 people supporting a banned group, Palestine Action, and four for assaulting officers as protesters gathered in central London.

Hundreds attended Saturday’s demonstration in Parliament Square, organised by Defend Our Juries.

MyLondon quoted the Metropolitan Police as saying that it would arrest anyone expressing support for Palestine Action.

In a statement, Scotland Yard said 200 arrests were made for showing support for a proscribed organisation by 3.40pm “with more to follow”.

There were a further four arrests for assaults on officers. The force said the detained protesters were taken to prisoner processing points in the Westminster area, and those whose details could be confirmed were bailed, with conditions not to attend any further protest in support of Palestine Action.

Those whose details were refused, or could not be verified, were taken to custody suites across London, the Met added.

The crowd, sat on the grass inside Parliament Square, could be seen writing “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action” on white placards at 1pm, with the vast majority remaining silent.

Several demonstrators carrying placards that read “Palestine Action terrorises Britain while Hamas hides in hospitals, schools and mosques”, briefly walked along the crowd before being led away by police officers.

Other clusters of protesters who were not holding placards gathered around the Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela statues in the square singing pro-Palestinian chants.

Officers were holding individual demonstrators sat on the edge of the grass before escorting them through swelling crowds to police vans parked on the edge of the square.

A separate group of officers attended a protester lying next to the fenced-off Emmeline Pankhurst statue.

They later began arresting protesters sat in the middle of Parliament Square. The officers lifted the protesters – some sitting and some lying flat – off the ground before escorting them away, the online Magazine reports.