87-year-old among 523 people arrested at protest against Palestine Action ban

More than 500 people have been arrested during a mass protest in central London against the ban on Palestine Action, the Metropolitan Police said.

The force said 523 people aged between 18 and 87 were arrested for showing support for a proscribed organisation during the demonstration at Trafalgar Square.

Those arrested included Massive Attack musician Robert Del Naja, who sat with an “I Support Palestine Action” sign and was later carried away by three police officers.

Hundreds of protesters gathered in Trafalgar Square on Saturday afternoon with signs reading “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.”

Protest group Defend Our Juries said the demonstration, called Everyone Day, would show the “resistance” to the ban on Palestine Action was “stronger than ever”.

Many of the mostly elderly demonstrators sat on camping chairs and on the ground as they held up their placards.

At the top of the square, near the National Gallery, large banners were displayed reading “Jurors deserve to hear the whole truth” and “Israel starves kids”.

Police officers carried people away from the demonstration as they made arrests – including Mr Del Naja, who was filmed being lifted off the ground by three police officers.

In the footage, a man can be heard asking Mr Del Naja: “Can you tell us why you’re being arrested today?”

The musician appears to reply: “I’m being unlawfully arrested.”

Prior to his arrest, Mr Del Naja told the Press Association he wanted to attend the protest despite the consequences a potential arrest could have on his music career.

“Being a musician, obviously, there was a lot of trepidation around how we might not be able to travel and get visas,” he said.

“But I thought ‘this is ridiculous’ and then the police making that U-turn to arrest people again, I thought that is even more ridiculous.”

He added: “I think that the actions of Palestine Action were highly patriotic because they were pretty much protecting our country from getting involved in serious war crimes, and breaking international law.

“How much more patriotic can you be than that?”

Tom Southerden, Amnesty International UK’s law and human rights director, said: “Today’s mass arrests of peaceful protesters in Trafalgar Square under UK terrorism law are yet another blow to civil liberties in this country – and made all the more outrageous by the Metropolitan Police’s own U-turn.

“The High Court ruled in February that the proscription of Palestine Action was unlawful.

“The Met rightly said it would stop making arrests.

“It has now gone back to its old, failed policy – mass arrests of people holding pieces of card, including today an elderly woman with walking sticks.

“This is not policing. This is the state criminalising dissent.”

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “We are grateful to all the officers involved for their professionalism.”