London’s Metropolitan Police detained at least 474 people on Saturday, August 9th, targeting expressions of support for Palestine Action. The actions were in keeping with the protestors’ previously announced strategy of provoking the arrests in order to ‘break’ the criminal justice system.
Many of those arrested produced handwritten signs at an agreed time to support the proscribed group, banking on it forcing a police response. Following a warning, arrests began. Those successfully prosecuted could face anything up to 14 years’ imprisonment under anti-terror laws.
Keir Starmer’s Labour government pushed through the policy after Palestine Action members vandalised a UK military facility. By grouping ‘direct action’ vandals in with Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis—but weirdly not the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps—Starmer and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper have made a rod for their own backs. This is clear from the Met Police’s current commitment to arresting people for holding specifically worded placards.
