Arabic version: شرطة العاصمة تستأنف اعتقالات مؤيدي حركة فلسطين

The Metropolitan Police has said it will resume arresting protesters for supporting the proscribed group Palestine Action. This decision follows a High Court ruling in February that deemed the government’s ban of the group under anti-terror legislation unlawful, yet the ban remains in place during an ongoing Home Office appeal.

According to BBC News, Deputy Assistant Commissioner James Harman emphasized that supporting Palestine Action continues to be a criminal offense. He stated, “We must enforce the law as it is at the time, not as it might be at a future date,” highlighting the police’s obligation to act consistently.

The High Court had determined that while Palestine Action engaged in criminal activities to promote its objectives, it did not meet the stringent criteria necessary to classify it as a terrorist organization. In response to this ruling, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood expressed disappointment and confirmed the government’s intention to appeal.

Since the group’s proscription was enacted last summer by then-Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, over 2,700 arrests have been made for alleged support of Palestine Action. Demonstrators at various rallies have displayed signs expressing their opposition to the ban, with slogans such as “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action.”

The legal proceedings for hundreds of individuals accused of supporting the group have been postponed pending the outcome of the High Court appeal regarding the ban. Proscription makes it a criminal offence to belong to or support Palestine Action, punishable by up to 14 years in prison.