Violent clashes break out at London protest in support of Palestine Action

Violent clashes have broken out at a central London demonstration in support of banned group Palestine Action.

Tensions rose in Westminster as an estimated 1,500 people gathered for the rally – with the protest taking on an increasingly anti-police tone featuring chants of “shame on you”, “you’re supporting genocide” and some referencing former officer and murderer Wayne Couzens.

Police drew their batons during clashes, and one protester was seen with blood streaming down his face behind a barrier after being arrested.

Hundreds of people were risking arrest at the protest as they showed support for Palestine Action, which has been banned by the Government as a terrorist organisation.

Scotland Yard said its officers experienced physical and verbal abuse as they arrested people for backing the group.

The force said: “Officers continue to make arrests of individuals showing support for the proscribed terrorist organisation Palestine Action at the Defend Our Juries protest.

“There has been a co-ordinated effort to prevent officers carrying out their duties, which has included physical and verbal abuse.

“A number of arrests have now been made for assault.”

The Met confirmed around 150 people have been arrested so far.

There were frantic scenes in the area throughout the afternoon, as officers forced their way through crowds carrying arrested protesters, had screaming arguments with demonstrators and had water and plastic bottles thrown at them – while several protesters fell over in a crush at one point.

Despite the violence, which occurred particularly on neighbouring streets, Parliament Square Green remained largely peaceful.

Several hundred protesters, many of them elderly, spent the day on the grass, with signs reading “I support Palestine Action”.

Elsewhere in the square, dozens of doctors in their scrubs – with badges pinned to them identifying their roles including: doctor, surgeon and physio – unfurled a banner reading: “Medical duty & terror law”, while families of Holocaust survivors held a sign which said: “Holocaust survivor descendants against genocide”.

Kerry Moscogiuri, of human rights campaign group Amnesty International UK, said: “When the Government is arresting people under terrorism laws for sitting peacefully in protest, something is going very wrong here in the UK.

“Criminalising speech in this context is only permitted when it incites violence or advocates hatred. Expressing support for Palestine Action does not, in itself, meet this threshold.”

A spokesperson for Defend Our Juries (DOJ) said: “State repression has not worked.

“This is becoming Labour’s Poll Tax moment. The resistance to this ridiculous ban keeps on growing exponentially. It is also bringing together social movements in common cause.”

Mike Higgins, 62, who is blind and uses a wheelchair, returned to protest on Saturday after making headlines last month as one of 532 people arrested at a previous demonstration.

He told the PA news agency: “What choice do I have?

“Nothing is being done about the genocide other than by us.

“And I’m a terrorist? That’s the joke of it.

“I’ve already been arrested under the Terrorism Act and I suspect I will be today.

“Of course, I’ll keep coming back – what choice do I have?”

Protesters also gathered for a separate demonstration in the capital organised by the Palestine Coalition – which includes the groups Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Stop the War – while rallies were held in Belfast and Edinburgh.

DOJ send a letter to Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley before the weekend saying police forces in Edinburgh, Totnes, Derry and Kendall had all decided not to arrest sign-holders.

It comes after six people who are alleged to be members of the DOJ, or working closely with it, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday to deny terror offences after they were accused of attempting to organise mass gatherings with the aim of rendering the ban on Palestine Action unenforceable.

On Friday, the Crown Prosecution Service said a further 24 people were charged over allegedly showing support for the group, bringing the total number being prosecuted to 138.

Palestine Action was banned as a terror organisation in July after the group claimed responsibility for an action in which two Voyager planes were damaged at RAF Brize Norton on June 20.

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.

Ms Ammori took legal action against the department over then-home secretary Yvette Cooper’s decision to proscribe the group under anti-terror laws, which made membership of, or support for, the direct action group a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison.