UK Protesters Plan to Block Mass Arrests in Palestine Action Ban

[CharlieH]

 

"Protesters Plan to Overwhelm Police at Palestine Action Rally"

Demonstrators aim to challenge arrest procedures in mass protest.

 

Protesters planning the next major demonstration against the ban on Palestine Action intend to withhold their details from police, aiming to overwhelm the processing system and make mass arrests “practically impossible.”

Defend Our Juries, the group organizing the protest, intends to proceed with the event on 6 September in London if over 1,000 participants pledge to join. More than 2,500 people have already shown interest in what could be the largest protest since Palestine Action was banned in June.

 

Earlier this month, 532 arrests were made at a previous demonstration. The Metropolitan Police reported that 212 of these individuals refused to provide details or were already on bail, leading to their transportation to police stations.

The rest were arrested and bailed after cooperating with makeshift processing points near Parliament Square, thus avoiding the need for external police stations.

 

Protesters must sign an online pledge committing to the demonstration and acknowledging the risk of arrest. They are advised against complying with “street bail,” which involves being processed on the spot and released with a requirement to report to a station later.

 

Instead, protestors are urged not to give any personal information, necessitating their transport to a police station for processing. Defend Our Juries argues that this tactic would expose the current system and force police to reconsider their approach.

 

Tim Crosland, a spokesperson for the group, asserts that the police’s use of mass "street bail" denied detainees immediate legal counsel. He claims that if enough participants demand station processing, it will become impossible to enforce the arrests.

 

Crosland emphasizes, “If 1,000 people sign the pledge and insist on their rights, the charade will be exposed.” He likens the situation to past public opposition movements, such as the poll tax protests of 1990, suggesting laws facing mass dissent often become unenforceable.

 

The protest is set to last indefinitely as organisers encourage participants to remain steadfast. A Survation poll recently found that 70% of Labour members disagreed with the government’s decision to label Palestine Action a terrorist group. The group had been proscribed following an incident at RAF Brize Norton.

 

Recent criticism includes former cabinet minister Peter Hain’s remarks about the government’s handling of the situation, highlighting internal Labour Party divisions. In a Guardian article, Labour MP Stella Creasy, who voted to ban the group, expressed concern alongside Hain about the impact on protest rights.

 

Crosland denounces the government’s extensive use of resources against peaceful protests, claiming significant political and public support against the ban. With momentum building, the upcoming protest aims to challenge perceptions and actions surrounding protest rights in the UK.

 

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Guardian 2025-08-22