The total number of people arrested at yesterday’s pro-Palestine protests has been confirmed as 532 – including over 100 pensioners. This is up from a previous number given out by the Met that said 474 people were arrested. The majority of these were people showing support for Palestine Action, the action network deemed a terrorist organisation by the Government last month.
A number of people gathered inside Westminster’s Parliament Square from 1pm, some holding signs reading “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action”. Several demonstrators, many without signs, gathered around the Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela statues in the square to sing pro-Palestinian chants.
Organiser Defend Our Juries said between 600 and 700 people were participating in the protest, with 522 later detained under Section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000. One arrest took place at the Palestine Coalition march happening simultaneously in Russell Square, but the remaining 521 arrests occurred in Parliament Square.
A further six people were taken into custody on suspicion of assaulting a police officer, with one detained for obstructing a constable in the execution of their duty. Two people were also arrested for breaching Section 14 Public Order Act conditions, and one person allegedly committed a racially aggravated public order offence.
Only 18 of those people remained in custody on Sunday afternoon but were expected to be released on bail “in the coming hours”, the Metropolitan Police said. The force believes 30 people arrested had been arrested at previous London protests in support of Palestine Action, according to a statement issued this afternoon.
Of those arrested, 263 were male, 261 were female and eight either defined themselves as non-binary or did not disclose their gender. Those whose confirmed their details – 320 people – were taken to one of two prisoner processing points in the Westminster area, and released on bail to appear at a police station at a future date.
Those who refused to provide their details at the prisoner processing points and those who were found to have been arrested while already on bail, were transported to one of a number of Metropolitan Police custody suites.
The forces Counter Terrorism Command will now look to secure charges over the coming days and weeks. The Home Secretary thanked the police for facilitating the ‘peaceful’ protest on Saturday, saying a “very small number of people…crossed the line into criminality”.
Yvette Copper said: “Tens of thousands of people marched in London today to protest in support of Palestinian rights, working with the police to carry out their demonstration largely without incident. This will have been replicated in many other parts of the country too. We thank the police for their work in dealing with the very small number of people whose actions crossed the line into criminality.
“The right to protest is one we protect fiercely but this is very different from displaying support for this one specific and narrow, proscribed organisation. Palestine Action was proscribed based on strong security advice following serious attacks the group has committed, involving violence, significant injuries and extensive criminal damage.”
The protest marks the most arrests made by the Metropolitan Police in single operation over the last decade.
Pro-Palestine Action arrests by age group
Here’s each of the 532 arrests made by age group, according to data from the Metropolitan Police:
|
17-19 |
6 |
|
20-29 |
65 |
|
30-39 |
55 |
|
40-49 |
45 |
|
50-59 |
89 |
|
60-69 |
147 |
|
70-79 |
97 |
|
80-89 |
15 |
The dates of birth of 13 people are yet to be confirmed and are not included in these totals.
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