London rally urges government to drop ban on Palestine Action

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) — Hundreds of people rallied in central London on Saturday demanding the British government lift its ban on the activist group Palestine Action, with chants condemning police arrests and the mounting death toll in Gaza.

Gathered in Parliament Square, demonstrators carried Palestinian flags and signs while chanting: “Over 100,000 dead and you are arresting us instead” and “Resisting genocide is not a crime.” Some banners read “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action,” “Disarm education,” and “It’s not a crime to act against genocide.”

The protest came after Defend Our Juries, the organizing group, said earlier this week that more than 1,000 people had pledged to attend.

Metropolitan Police officers made several arrests during the rally, as they did during a similar protest last month in which more than 500 people were detained.

Palestine Action was banned in July under the UK’s 2000 Terrorism Act, a decision that has led to the arrests of hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters for holding signs or showing support for the group.

The demonstration took place as the second year of genocide in Gaza continues. Israel’s military offensive has killed at least 64,300 Palestinians since October 2023, according to Gaza health authorities, leaving the enclave in famine conditions.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.