London police make 466 arrests for supporting the forbidden group Palestine Action

London police make 466 arrests for supporting the forbidden group Palestine Action

in London there was massive protests against the decision of the British government on Saturday, the Pro-Palestinian activist group Palestine> To ban action under the anti -terrorist law. The Metropolitan Police reported that 466 people were arrested by the evening because they supported the group.

background of the protests

Palestine Action has set itself the goal of disturbing the business of weapon manufacturers that the Israeli government supply. The British legislator had voted to ban the group last month after two activists entered a large military base in England and had damaged two military aircraft there. The ban makes it illegal to be a member of Palestine Action or to support the group, which puts them on a level with organizations such as Hamas and Al-Qaida.

Protest course and arrests

On Saturday afternoon, many people gathered on Parliament Square in London to protest against the government's decision. The police had previously warned that they would arrest anyone who supported the forbidden group. An 80-year-old demonstrator from Surrey told CNN that she took part in the protest to show what was the government's decision for a farce. The organizers reported more than a thousand participants who dismissed banners with messages such as "I lean gene murder, I supported Palestine Action".

reactions and effects

The Metropolitan Police estimated that between 500 and 600 people took part in the demonstration, but many of them were onlookers or relatives of the press. "We are confident that anyone who was today with a Palestine action on parliament Square was either arrested or is in the process of arrest," says Scotland Yard. The arrested persons were brought to "arrest processing centers in the Westminster region" and were allowed to regain their freedom, but were not allowed to participate in other protests for Palestine Action.

voices from politics and human rights organizations

The British Interior Minister Yvette Cooper thanked the police for "dealing with the very small number of people whose actions exceeded the limit to crime". Amnesty International UK condemned the arrests of peaceful demonstrators as a "violation of the international obligations of the United Kingdom to protect rights to freedom of expression and assembly".

In the past few days, the co -founder of Palestine Action, Huda Ammori, has won a legal dispute against the prohibition with which permission was given to request a judicial review.

reports by CNNS Jonny Hallam and Billy Stockwell flowed into this article.