Gaza War: London: Tumult and arrest in propalestinian demo

A propalestinic demonstration in London has occurred tumultuous scenes. Around 150 people were arrested by the early evening, as the Metropolitan Police announced.

Hundreds had gathered a protest march through the Westminster district and rallies on the square in front of the parliament to demonstrate against the ban on the Palestine group. In some cases, aggressive behavior towards police officers is said to have occurred.

Palestine Action was classified as terrorist at the beginning of July after activists had entered an air force base and sprayed the Royal Air Force aircraft. They accuse the British government of supporting Israel with tanker aircraft in the Gaza War and, according to their own statements, wanted to make the machines unusable by spraying colors. The British government rejected the group’s claims and announced a tough procedure.

Biller legal dispute to contest the prohibition

The police treat demonstrators as a terrorist supporter. Membership or supporting a terrorist association are crimes in Great Britain that can be punished at up to 14 years in prison.

According to media reports, more than 700 people have so far been arrested. One of the founders of Palestine Action wants to take action against the terrorist classification. Whether the ban can be challenged is currently the subject of a bitter legal dispute.

Critics of the ban see this an inadmissible restriction of freedom of expression because a debate about it is suffocated in the bud. They also state that the group carried out sabotage files but never spoke out for violence against people. The demonstrators arrested as terrorist supporters are mostly harmless, some of them are pensioners.