By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter
County residents were among the 522 people arrested in London at a demonstration over the banning of Palestine Action.
More than a thousand people gathered outside Parliament on August 9 and held a “silent” protest against the proscription of Palestine Action.
The group was proscribed in July after claiming responsibility for damage to jets at RAF Brize Norton and was also linked to allegations of a serious assault on staff and police officers at a business premises in South Gloucestershire.
Proscription of Palestine Action means membership or support of it is a criminal offence.
The demonstration was organised by Defend our Juries, which for the past eighteen months has been protesting at Crown Courts, including Gloucester, against what they believe is a crackdown on conscience as a defence and a right of jurors.
The protesters said by expressing support for Palestine Action and refusing to put it down, people voluntarily submitted to being arrested.
They did this as a way of demonstrating that the law is unjust and unworkable, they said.
The Metropolitan Police say there is a difference between showing support for a proscribed organisation – an offence under the Terrorism Act – and legitimate protest in support of a cause.
Individuals are entitled to protest within the law, but where that activity breaks the law, the police will make arrests and the Crown Prosecution Service will bring prosecutions.
One of those arrested, Rose Lennard, 63, from CheItenham, said If the suffragettes were around today, the Government would ban them.
She said the charges of criminal damaged Palestine Action members face is “no more ‘terrorist’ than that carried out by the suffragettes”.
“They are revered and those today trying to prevent the manufacture of weapons destined for use in genocide, are classed with the likes of Al Qaeda, and anyone expressing support for their actions is arrested,” she said.
Also arrested was Stuart Drysdale, 72, a retired GP, from Cowley, who said: “It is essential that ordinary people like us stand up, or in this case sit down, to defend our hard won British right to protest and have freedom of speech.
“When I see the injured, and now starving children on the news, the same age as my own grandchildren – I cannot just standby and do nothing.“
Another arrestee David Lambert, 66, from Stroud said Palestine Action may be causing significant damage and it may be disrupting business but it is “clearly not a terrorist” organisation.
“It is shining a spotlight on the UK’s illegal support for the genocide in Gaza and that’s why the government has banned it.
“Yvette Cooper repeatedly tells us she has evidence that this is a violent organisation but refuses to share it.
“Their violence is only directed at property; they are not inflicting terror on anyone let alone innocent civilians.
“This would be farcical if the stakes were not catastrophic for the people of Gaza.”
“The ban is a ridiculous over-reach on the part of the government. There is a right to protest in this country.
“Of course there is no right to break and enter or damage property but we already have the laws to deal with that. The ban is solely designed to spare the government public shaming over its complicity in crimes against humanity”
And Val Saunders, 71, a retired art teacher from Stroud said: “We write to our MPs, go on marches, sign petitions and donate to charities but the government just ignores us and continues to support genocide. So we are getting arrested by breaking this ridiculous ‘law’ to say, direct action is not the same as terrorism.This isn’t right!”
The Met Police say a further 60 people will be prosecuted for showing support for the proscribed terrorist group Palestine Action.
This follows the arrest of more than 700 people since the group’s proscription on July 5.
The Metropolitan Police, Counter Terrorism Policing, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the Attorney General’s Office have been working closely together to process the case files with more prosecutions expected in the coming weeks.
We have put arrangements in place that will enable us to investigate and prosecute significant numbers each week if necessary.
In central London 15,000 people demonstrated peacefully in support of the Palestinian cause with only one arrest taking place.
However, 522 were arrested for an illegal show of support for Palestine Action on the same day.
There have been hundreds of protests expressing support for the Palestinian cause over the last two years without showing mass support for proscribed terrorist groups.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said: “I am proud of how our police and CPS teams have worked so speedily together to overcome misguided attempts to overwhelm the justice system. If necessary, we are able to investigate and quickly charge significant numbers of people each week if people want the potentially life-changing consequences of a terrorist conviction.
“At the same time, we will continue to police the numerous protests each week where people express their views in support of Palestine without choosing to break Counter Terrorism Laws by supporting proscribed terror groups.
“To be clear, these arrests and prosecutions do not outlaw people’s right to demonstrate in support of Palestine, or any other cause. They are simply the enforcement of a specific provision under the Terrorism Act in relation to a specific proscribed terrorist organisation, Palestine Action.
“Where officers see these offences, we will continue to make arrests and, as shown today, the CPS and police will work to quickly secure charges, at whatever scale is necessary.”
The consequences for those charged with offences under the Terrorism Act include a maximum sentence of six months’ imprisonment.
The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) will have a record of a person’s TACT conviction, and this will be seen by employers who use DBS to carry out checks on staff or new applicants.
The existence of a TACT conviction may be seen by employers as grounds for a refusal to employ a person or to dismiss them.
Universities also carry out DBS checks, and may refuse entry to courses to those with terrorism convictions.
And any application to visit another country usually requires a declaration of criminal convictions.
Such a conviction will be a potential bar to entry to countries including the US, Australia, Japan, and from 2026, countries of the European Union.
If a person is a member of a professional body, they may face disciplinary proceedings and potentially removal from the profession.