Police said 522 arrests were for showing support for a proscribed organization, largely by carrying placards. Ten others were detained on charges including assaulting and obstructing officers.
On Sunday, a separate march in central London called for the immediate release of Israeli hostages in Gaza.
Supporters of Palestine Action said the ban unlawfully restricts free expression. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper rejected that, saying the group was outlawed after “serious attacks involving violence, significant injuries and extensive criminal damage.” “The right to protest is one we protect fiercely,” she said, “but this is very different from displaying support for this one specific and narrow, proscribed organization.”
Newspaper front pages showed elderly protesters being carried away. Among them was La Pethick, an 89-year-old retired psychotherapist, who told the Times of London her five grandchildren supported her. “We are having our right to peaceful protest being taken away,” she said. Almost half of those arrested were over 60, police said.
The Met said charging decisions could take weeks as its Counter Terrorism Command compiles case files and seeks approval from prosecutors and, in some cases, the attorney general.
Parliament voted to ban Palestine Action after activists broke into a Royal Air Force base and damaged two tanker planes to protest British support for the war in Gaza. The group had previously targeted Israeli defense contractors and other sites in Britain. Supporters are challenging the ban in court, arguing it violates human rights laws.
(jh)
Source: Euronews, Associated Press