Palestine Action campaigners seeking to lift ban rounded up in dawn raids

Counterterrorism police on Tuesday arrested five members of a campaign group calling for the UK government to lift its ban on direct action group Palestine Action, hours before a press conference announcing a protest on Saturday.

Defend Our Juries (DOJ) has called regular protests since the government moved to proscribe the group in July, with mounting numbers of participants arrested under the Terrorism Act for holding signs reading, “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.”

According to London's Metropolitan Police, 114 people have been charged with Terrorism Act offences linked to Palestine Action support.

Over 500 people - most of them over the age of 60 - were arrested under the Terrorism Act at a previous action in London's Parliament Square on 9 August.

On 22 August, DOJ called for 1,000 people to pledge to participate in the upcoming protest, saying it would only go ahead if participant numbers reached that threshold.

Read more: Palestine Action campaigners seeking to lift ban rounded up in dawn raids