Protesters holds placards in Parliament Square (Image: Getty)
A justice minister has vowed that supporters of a banned terrorist organisation “will feel the full force of the law” following arrests at a mass protest. The Met Police confirmed on Sunday that 522 people were held for displaying an item in support for Palestine Action, out of the total 532 arrests made during the policing operation.
Some 348 of those arrested were aged 50 or over, according to a breakdown published by the force. Victims minister Alex Davies-Jones said: “I want to thank the police for their bravery and their courage in carrying out their diligent duties in the line of public protection, and I want to state that the right to peacefully protest in this country is a cornerstone of our democracy, and of course, we respect that.
Article continues belowADVERTISEMENT
DON'T MISS
Powered by
Police arrest 466 as hundreds ignore ban for Palestine Action protest
Counter-terror cops shut down Palestine Action pre-London protest briefing
Palestine Action just offered the UK a masterclass in how to score an own-goal
Palestine Action in new plot to overwhelm police with huge London protest breaking ban
Justice Secretary vows to send thousands of foreign criminals 'packing'
Over 300 suspected people smugglers arrested in UK-France crackdown
Three Palestine Action protesters charged for supporting terror group
Riot police brace for more protests as nationwide day of anger sparks arrests
I've written about crime for years - this crisis continues to shock and anger me
Labour 'gaslighting' public with their 'fake news' on migrant deportations
Hard-Left keeps sending UK message - it's time we sent one of our own
UK won't survive if leaders don't step up and admit terrifying reality about crime
Packed prisons brace for protestor influx this weekend - 8 protests outside migrant hotels
Starmer's migrant deal crumbles on day one as French navy runs 'taxi service' for dinghies
Yvette Cooper issues major update in migrant crime row: 'It's important'
Furious relatives of hostages held by Hamas slam Keir Starmer on Downing Street march
Bus sex pest who assaulted teen, urinated 'everywhere' then spat at police jailed
Labour claim foreign criminals will be deported immediately from the UK
Keir Starmer breaks silence on migrant deal hours after French escort more boats to the UK
France, Canada, Mexico and Australia issue extraordinary warnings over travel to UK
Police arrest 466 as hundreds ignore ban for Palestine Action protest
Counter-terror cops shut down Palestine Action pre-London protest briefing
Palestine Action just offered the UK a masterclass in how to score an own-goal
Palestine Action in new plot to overwhelm police with huge London protest breaking ban
Justice Secretary vows to send thousands of foreign criminals 'packing'
Over 300 suspected people smugglers arrested in UK-France crackdown
Three Palestine Action protesters charged for supporting terror group
Riot police brace for more protests as nationwide day of anger sparks arrests
I've written about crime for years - this crisis continues to shock and anger me
Labour 'gaslighting' public with their 'fake news' on migrant deportations
Hard-Left keeps sending UK message - it's time we sent one of our own
UK won't survive if leaders don't step up and admit terrifying reality about crime
Packed prisons brace for protestor influx this weekend - 8 protests outside migrant hotels
Starmer's migrant deal crumbles on day one as French navy runs 'taxi service' for dinghies
Yvette Cooper issues major update in migrant crime row: 'It's important'
Furious relatives of hostages held by Hamas slam Keir Starmer on Downing Street march
Bus sex pest who assaulted teen, urinated 'everywhere' then spat at police jailed
Labour claim foreign criminals will be deported immediately from the UK
Keir Starmer breaks silence on migrant deal hours after French escort more boats to the UK
France, Canada, Mexico and Australia issue extraordinary warnings over travel to UK
Police arrest 466 as hundreds ignore ban for Palestine Action protest
Counter-terror cops shut down Palestine Action pre-London protest briefing
Palestine Action just offered the UK a masterclass in how to score an own-goal
Palestine Action in new plot to overwhelm police with huge London protest breaking ban
Justice Secretary vows to send thousands of foreign criminals 'packing'
Over 300 suspected people smugglers arrested in UK-France crackdown
Three Palestine Action protesters charged for supporting terror group
Riot police brace for more protests as nationwide day of anger sparks arrests
I've written about crime for years - this crisis continues to shock and anger me
Labour 'gaslighting' public with their 'fake news' on migrant deportations
Hard-Left keeps sending UK message - it's time we sent one of our own
UK won't survive if leaders don't step up and admit terrifying reality about crime
Packed prisons brace for protestor influx this weekend - 8 protests outside migrant hotels
Starmer's migrant deal crumbles on day one as French navy runs 'taxi service' for dinghies
Yvette Cooper issues major update in migrant crime row: 'It's important'
Furious relatives of hostages held by Hamas slam Keir Starmer on Downing Street march
Bus sex pest who assaulted teen, urinated 'everywhere' then spat at police jailed
Labour claim foreign criminals will be deported immediately from the UK
Keir Starmer breaks silence on migrant deal hours after French escort more boats to the UK
France, Canada, Mexico and Australia issue extraordinary warnings over travel to UK
“But with regards to Palestine Action, they are a proscribed terrorist organisation and their actions have not been peaceful. They have violently carried out criminal damage to RAF aircraft.
Read more: Police issue major update on Palestine Action protest as more than 500 arrested
Read more: Riot police brace for more protests as nationwide day of anger park arrests
“We have credible reports of them targeting Jewish-owned businesses here in the United Kingdom, and there are other reasons which we can’t disclose because of national security.
“But they are a proscribed terrorist organisation and anyone showing support for that terrorist organisation will feel the full force of the law.”
Downing Street added that Palestine Action is a “violent organisation” that has committed “significant injury".
Asked about people arrested as part of protests linked to the group, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “We’ve said that many people may not yet know the reality of this organisation, but the assessments are very clear: this is a violent organisation that has committed violence, significant injury, extensive criminal damage, and as I say, it has met the tests as set out under the Terrorism Act to be proscribed.”
Downing Street said the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre – an independent authority based within MI5 – had found the organisation had carried out three separate acts of terrorism.
The Government is unable to provide “all of the detail at this stage” but the proscription has been made through a “robust, evidence-based process”, it said.
“We’ve said that many people may not yet know the reality of this organisation, but the assessments are very clear: this is a violent organisation that has committed violence, significant injury and extensive criminal damage,” Sir Keir Starmer’s spokesman added.
Trending
Ms Davies-Jones insisted a prison place will be available “for someone for public protection if that’s required” amid fears the justice system might be “really struggling to cope” with the number of arrests during recent protests.
DON'T MISS
Powered by
Three Palestine Action protesters charged for supporting terror group
Riot police brace for more protests as nationwide day of anger sparks arrests
I've written about crime for years - this crisis continues to shock and anger me
Labour 'gaslighting' public with their 'fake news' on migrant deportations
Hard-Left keeps sending UK message - it's time we sent one of our own
UK won't survive if leaders don't step up and admit terrifying reality about crime
Packed prisons brace for protestor influx this weekend - 8 protests outside migrant hotels
Starmer's migrant deal crumbles on day one as French navy runs 'taxi service' for dinghies
Yvette Cooper issues major update in migrant crime row: 'It's important'
Furious relatives of hostages held by Hamas slam Keir Starmer on Downing Street march
Bus sex pest who assaulted teen, urinated 'everywhere' then spat at police jailed
Labour claim foreign criminals will be deported immediately from the UK
Keir Starmer breaks silence on migrant deal hours after French escort more boats to the UK
France, Canada, Mexico and Australia issue extraordinary warnings over travel to UK
Police arrest 466 as hundreds ignore ban for Palestine Action protest
Counter-terror cops shut down Palestine Action pre-London protest briefing
Palestine Action just offered the UK a masterclass in how to score an own-goal
Palestine Action in new plot to overwhelm police with huge London protest breaking ban
Justice Secretary vows to send thousands of foreign criminals 'packing'
Over 300 suspected people smugglers arrested in UK-France crackdown
Three Palestine Action protesters charged for supporting terror group
Riot police brace for more protests as nationwide day of anger sparks arrests
I've written about crime for years - this crisis continues to shock and anger me
Labour 'gaslighting' public with their 'fake news' on migrant deportations
Hard-Left keeps sending UK message - it's time we sent one of our own
UK won't survive if leaders don't step up and admit terrifying reality about crime
Packed prisons brace for protestor influx this weekend - 8 protests outside migrant hotels
Starmer's migrant deal crumbles on day one as French navy runs 'taxi service' for dinghies
Yvette Cooper issues major update in migrant crime row: 'It's important'
Furious relatives of hostages held by Hamas slam Keir Starmer on Downing Street march
Bus sex pest who assaulted teen, urinated 'everywhere' then spat at police jailed
Labour claim foreign criminals will be deported immediately from the UK
Keir Starmer breaks silence on migrant deal hours after French escort more boats to the UK
France, Canada, Mexico and Australia issue extraordinary warnings over travel to UK
Police arrest 466 as hundreds ignore ban for Palestine Action protest
Counter-terror cops shut down Palestine Action pre-London protest briefing
Palestine Action just offered the UK a masterclass in how to score an own-goal
Palestine Action in new plot to overwhelm police with huge London protest breaking ban
Justice Secretary vows to send thousands of foreign criminals 'packing'
Over 300 suspected people smugglers arrested in UK-France crackdown
Three Palestine Action protesters charged for supporting terror group
Riot police brace for more protests as nationwide day of anger sparks arrests
I've written about crime for years - this crisis continues to shock and anger me
Labour 'gaslighting' public with their 'fake news' on migrant deportations
Hard-Left keeps sending UK message - it's time we sent one of our own
UK won't survive if leaders don't step up and admit terrifying reality about crime
Packed prisons brace for protestor influx this weekend - 8 protests outside migrant hotels
She said: “We have put in place all of our contingency plans for this.
“We are prepared, as we always are, to take action, and I want to reassure the public that there will always be a prison place available for someone for public protection if that’s required.
“You know, we did inherit a criminal justice system in absolute crisis from the previous government – our prisons close collapse, the court system in chaos – however, thanks to the action that this Government has taken in order to free up capacity in our prisons, in order to get on top of the backlog in our criminal courts, we do have contingency and capability within the criminal justice system in order to take action.”
Read Next
SUBSCRIBEInvalid email
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy