The Metropolitan Police has condemned the “intolerable” abuse allegedly suffered by officers who were “kicked and spat on” as they arrested more than 400 people at a protest against the banning of Palestine Action as a terror group.
The arrests were made on Saturday at a protest in London against the banning of the proscribed terror group.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Claire Smart, who led the policing operation, said: “In carrying out their duties today, our officers have been punched, kicked, spat on and had objects thrown at them by protesters.
“It is intolerable that those whose job it is to enforce the law and keep people safe – in this case arresting individuals committing offences under the Terrorism Act – should be subject to this level of abuse.”
The force added some protesters had been both physically and verbally abusive in a “coordinated effort to prevent officers carrying out their duties”, and that more than 25 of the arrests were made for assault.
A spokesperson for Defend Our Juries claimed the rally had been “the picture of peaceful protest” and that the Met Police’s statement about its officers being abused was an “astonishing claim”.
“I’ve been here all day and I haven’t seen any violence or aggression from anyone,” they said. “I’ve only seen aggression and violence from the police.”
It comes as the number of those arrested at the protest rose to more than 425 by around 9pm on Saturday, the Met said, but more arrests were expected.
Officers were seen drawing their batons while demonstrators took action in support of the proscribed terror organisation.
One man was seen with blood streaming down his face behind a barrier after being arrested, while the crowd was heard chanting “shame on you” and “you’re supporting genocide”.
Tense scenes on the western side of Parliament Square saw several protesters fall over in a crush while water was thrown at officers.
Pic: PA
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Smart said the majority of protests, including the Palestine Coalition march, attended by around 20,000 people, “passed with very few arrests”.
But “this was not the case at the protest organised by Defend Our Juries in support of the proscribed terrorist organisation Palestine Action”.
“The tactics deployed by supporters of Palestine Action in their attempt to overwhelm the justice system, as well as the level of violence seen in the crowd, required significant resource which took officers out of neighbourhoods to the detriment of the Londoners who rely on them,” she said.
Sky News’ Laura Bundock was at the protest.
She said: “There are hundreds of people here holding their placards proclaiming support for Palestine Action, they know that in itself is a criminal offence and so they are sat around, lying around, waiting to be arrested but with so many people here, it’s taking a long time.”
She added: “Protesters are now appealing to the new home secretary, they don’t see this activism as terrorism and vow they will never back down.”
A protester is carried away by police in Parliament Square. Pic: PA
First arrest after just 12 minutes
The Met announced the first arrests of the day on X just 12 minutes after the protest’s official start time.
The protest’s organiser, Defend Our Juries, said it estimated 1,500 had gathered for the rally, where many of them held signs saying: “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.”
In an update early on Saturday evening, the Met said: “Any assaults against officers will not be tolerated and arrests have already been made. We will identify all those responsible and prosecute to the full extent of the law.”
It had warned before the protest that “expressing support for a proscribed organisation is a criminal offence under the Terrorism Act”.
“Where our officers see offences, we will make arrests,” it said.
Pic: PA
Palestine Action has been banned as a terror group since 5 July after MPs voted overwhelmingly in favour of the move proposed by then-home secretary Yvette Cooper, making it illegal to express support for the group.
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Police and demonstrators in Westminster. Pic: PA
The ban on the group came shortly after two Voyager aircraft suffered around £7m worth of damage at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on 20 June.
The Home Office is set to appeal against the High Court ruling allowing Palestine Action’s co-founder, Huda Ammori, to proceed with a legal challenge against the government over the group’s ban.
