Four Arrested in Liverpool amid Nationwide Pro-Palestine Demonstrations
Liverpool city centre saw four arrests on Sunday afternoon during a pro-Palestine protest, with authorities citing suspicion of terrorism offences. Merseyside police reported that material supporting the campaign group Palestine Action was observed among a small number of attendees at a regular march organized by Liverpool Friends of Palestine.
The arrests in Liverpool are part of a broader wave of demonstrations across the UK protesting the proscription of Palestine Action, which was officially banned as a terrorist institution in June. Over 100 individuals were reportedly arrested nationwide over the weekend for similar alleged offenses.The four individuals arrested in Merseyside include a 74-year-old woman from Kensington,a 65-year-old man from Brighton-le-Sands,a 28-year-old man from Garston,and a 72-year-old man from Mossley Hill.They were detained on suspicion of wearing or carrying items in support of a proscribed organization and are currently in police custody for questioning.Similar protests took place in Bristol, Edinburgh, London, Manchester, and Truro on Saturday, coordinated by the pressure group Defend Our Juries. In London, the Metropolitan police arrested 55 people in Parliament Square under Section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000 for displaying placards in support of Palestine Action. Greater Manchester police reported 16 arrests on Saturday for suspected support of a proscribed organization,with those individuals also remaining in custody. Eight arrests were made near Truro Cathedral in Cornwall, and Avon and Somerset police reported 17 arrests during a protest in Bristol.
Palestine Action was proscribed following an incident on June 20 where two Voyager aircraft at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire were damaged. The direct action group claimed responsibility for the incident, which police estimated caused approximately £7 million in damages. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced plans to proscribe the group three days later, condemning the vandalism as “disgraceful” and highlighting the group’s “long history of unacceptable criminal damage.” The ban now makes membership or support for Palestine Action a criminal offense, potentially carrying a prison sentence of up to 14 years under the Terrorism Act.
