Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has led the chorus of condemnation towards the UK government and the Met Police this weekend, after 474 people were arrested for attending a protest in support of the banned Palestine Action group.
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Why were Palestine Action proscribed?
Activists for Palestine Action broke into a RAF site and spray-painted a jet back in June – an act which led to their proscription as a terrorist organisation. The sweeping ban has proved to be highly controversial, with peaceful protesters findings themselves detained for holding signs in support.
It was more of the same on Saturday. Hundreds of people descended upon Parliament Square to defy the government, and express their solidarity for the Palestinian cause. However, those deemed to be overtly supporting the proscribed group were unceremoniously bundled away.
How many people were arrested at the Palestine Action protests?
Footage from the demonstration shows elderly and disabled citizens being led away by several police officers, with critics questioning how the authorities have prioritised the way they are tackling crime prevention. Amnesty International have since called the arrests ‘deeply concerning’.
In a statement issued on Saturday evening, the Met Police revealed that the number of arrests was the highest recorded in relation to a single operation in at least the past decade – a sincerely troubling assertion to make, given the non-existent levels of disorder at the gathering.
‘Our government is complicit in genocide’ – Jeremy Corbyn
Jeremy Corbyn, who has launched a new political party this month, has refused to stay silent on the matter. Issuing a statement on Twitter, the MP for Islington said that this would go down as ‘one of the most shameful moments in our legal history’, and took a huge swipe at the Labour-led government.
“As peaceful protestors are arrested for holding placards, starving Palestinians are being shot in the street. This will go down as one of the most shameful moments in British legal history. No amount of suppression can hide the truth: our government is complicit in genocide.” | Jeremy Corbyn