UK expands police powers after sweeping arrests of Palestine Action supporters

The UK government is moving to further restrict public dissent, granting police greater powers to curb pro-Palestine protests after nearly 500 supporters of the banned Palestine Action group were detained in one day.

The Home Office said in a statement on Sunday that senior officers will be able to consider the “cumulative impact” of previous demonstrations when deciding whether to place restrictions on new ones.

This could include instructing organizers to hold events in different locations if a site has seen repeated protests.

The Home Office said the new powers would be “brought forward as soon as possible.”

At present, police can only ban a march entirely if there is a risk of serious public disorder.

Under the proposed changes, where there have been repeated protests, officers could impose conditions such as moving the event or limiting its duration.

“If a protest has taken place at the same site for weeks on end, and caused repeated disorder, the police will have the authority to, for example, instruct organizers to hold the event somewhere else. Anyone who breaches the conditions will risk arrest and prosecution,” the Home Office said.

According to the Home Office, the review of protest legislation will ensure “powers are sufficient and being applied consistently” and will include consideration of powers to ban protests outright.

Protesters gather at UK prime minister’s office, demanding govt. sanctions on Israel

An impromptu Palestine Solidarity demonstration from the British prime minister’s office has brought together hundreds of people who demanded that London break all ties with the zionist regime.

British police arrested nearly 500 people in central London during a mass demonstration in support of Palestine Action on Saturday.

The demonstration took place in London’s Trafalgar Square, with protesters calling on the British government to remove the “terrorist” designation of Palestine Action.

The pro-Palestine group, which takes direct action against Israeli weapon factories in the UK and their supply chain, was proscribed by the UK government in July, making it illegal to show any support or affiliation to them.

Israeli leaders in Tel Aviv obviously wield influence over British policy-makers, pushing police crackdown on anti-Israeli protests in the UK, according to a pro-Palestinian activist at the peaceful rally at Trafalgar Square.  

Instead of fighting real criminals, the UK police are brutally intimidating pro-Palestinian protesters, wasting the government’s resources on forcefully arresting peaceful demonstrators at the rallies meant to show solidarity with the innocent Palestinian people of the Gaza Strip that were being butchered by the atrocious Israeli regime forces, protesters said.

UK bans Palestine Action under terrorism law

The British government has designated Palestine Action as a terrorist organization. Palestine Action views the ban as a threat to political expression and civil liberties.

UK police inspectors found the Met police is completely failing in its jurisdiction, or inadequately managing to deal with real criminals in key crime-fighting areas.

According to an official report by the UK police authority, the law enforcement organization is a failed system with its biggest police force providing an inadequate or failing service in seven of eight key crime-fighting areas, and there are “serious concerns” about its management of dangerous offenders.”

A Whitehall source described the report on the Met police as “devastating.” Police authorities were advised to get their priorities set to deal with the real criminals, instead of wasting the British people’s money on following instructions sent from Tel Aviv.

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