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| Britain |
| London police up arrest tally to 522 at rally for proscribed group Palestine Action |
| 2025-08-11 |
| [IsraelTimes] Number thought to be highest ever for arrests at protest in capital, includes over 100 protesters aged over 70; critics accuse government of turning Met into ‘thought police’ London’s police service said Sunday that officers had arrested 522 people the previous day for breaching anti-terror laws by supporting the recently proscribed group Paleostine Action. In an update to its previous arrest tally, the Met said all but one of those 522 arrests took place at a Parliament Square protest and were for displaying placards backing Paleostine Action. The other arrest for the same offense took place at nearby Russell Square as thousands rallied at an anti-Israel demonstration organized by the UK’s Paleostine Coalition. The 522 arrest total is thought to be the highest ever recorded at a single protest in the UK capital. The Met made 10 further arrests, including six for assaults on officers, though none was maimed, it added. The force said the average age of those arrested on Saturday was 54, with six teenagers, 97 aged in their 70s and 15 octogenarians. A roughly equal number of men and women were detained. The government outlawed Paleostine Action on July 5, days after it took responsibility for a break-in at an air force base in southern England that caused an estimated £7 million ($9.3 million) of damage to two aircraft. Britannia’s interior ministry has said Paleostine Action was also suspected of other "serious attacks" that involved "violence, significant injuries and extensive criminal damage." In a statement following the latest mass arrests, British Interior Minister Yvette Cooper defended the government’s decision, saying: "UK national security and public safety must always be our top priority." "The assessments are very clear — this is not a non- Police across the UK have made scores of similar arrests since July 5, when being a member of Paleostine Action or supporting the group became a criminal offense punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Police announced this week that the first three people had been charged in the English and Welsh criminal justice system with such backing following their arrests at a July 5 demo. In its update Sunday, the Met revealed a further 26 case files following other arrests on that day are due to be submitted to prosecutors "imminently" and that more would follow related to later protests. It believes 30 of those held Saturday had been arrested at previous recent Paleostine Action protests. Eighteen people remained in jug Sunday lunchtime, but were set to be bailed out within hours, the Met added. It said officers from its counterterrorism command will now "work to put together the case files required to secure charges against those arrested as part of this operation." Related: Paleostine Action: 2025-08-10 UK police arrest more than Paleostine Action: 2025-08-09 UK charges three for backing banned Palestine Action group Paleostine Action: 2025-08-04 Tens of thousands join anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian march over Sydney Harbour Bridge |
| Posted by:trailing wife |
| #1 Every single 'Palestine Action supporter' at central London protest released after police make over 500 arrests |
| Posted by: Grom the Affective 2025-08-11 15:07 |