The Metropolitan Police have spoken out against what they call “intolerable” abuse that police had to deal with at a large rally in London on Saturday against the UK government’s ban on the activist group Palestine Action. More than 425 people were arrested by the police. Officials said that a small group of protestors “kicked, spat on, and punched” cops.
People gathered in Parliament Square for a protest organized by a group called “Defend Our Juries.” They were protesting the decision by former Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to label Palestine Action as a terrorist group in July. Claire Smart, the Deputy Assistant Commissioner of the Met Police, said that the large number of arrests, most of which were for supporting a banned group, was because of a coordinated effort to overload the police.
However, a spokeswoman for Defend Our Juries has denied the police’s charges of violence, calling them “astonishing” and saying that their event was a “picture of peaceful protest.” Since then, the group has asked Shabana Mahmood, the current Home Secretary, to overturn the ban on Palestine Action.
Legal and Political Consequences
The legal and political ramifications is still happening after the arrests. As of Sunday, a lot of the people who were arrested have been released on bail while authorities keep looking into the case. A representative from the Met Police said again that attacks on officers “will not be tolerated” and that the large number of arrests has put a burden on police resources.
The government hasn’t said anything to the public yet about the demonstration or the calls to lift the ban. Shabana Mahmood, the new Home Secretary, has a tough job ahead of her as she deals with the subject that is so divided. Political observers say that the ban is unlikely to be lifted in the near future because the previous administration put a lot of political capital into the decision.