UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces backlash after 532 arrests at Palestine Action protest, with critics warning of free speech threats and police overreach.
As reported by The Independent, Sir Keir Starmer faces backlash after arrests at Palestine Action protest, with warnings of a “poll tax” level political error.
MPs from different parties criticised the heavy use of counterterrorism laws, noting many arrested were seniors over 60.
What did Shami Chakrabarti say about the Palestine Action ban?
Labour peer Shami Chakrabarti warned the “proscription of Palestine Action risks becoming a poll tax-sized mistake,” a policy that triggered widespread civil unrest.
She added,
“The notable presence of so many older people highlights the strength of genuine feeling. Criminal damage at air force bases can be prosecuted, but sweeping guilt by association only exacerbates community tensions and creates a bigger headache for the police.”
What did Sir David Davis say about Palestine Action arrests?
Ex- Conservative cabinet minister Sir David Davis said the arrests were an “excessive use of counterterrorism law”, saying “they’ve gone over the top.”
He stated,
“We’ve not really been given any evidence for the reasoning behind proscribing Palestine Action. I mean, they broke in and painted an aircraft, they did not set bombs or anything. So that’s the first question. What was the criteria? And then secondly, should you be arresting lots of people because they support a particular side and put up a banner?”
Mr Davis added,
“The authorities should be more clear cut about why they have proscribed Palestine Action.”
What did Peter Hain say about Palestine Action arrests?
The former Labour cabinet minister Peter Hain labelled the mass arrests as “madness” and added Palestine Action was not
“equivalent to real terrorist groups like al-Qaeda or Islamic State [which is] why I voted against its ban.”
What did Alex Davies-Jones say about Palestine Action?
Alex Davies-Jones said the right to peaceful protest is fundamental to democracy and is fully respected.
She said, Palestine Action
“violently carried out criminal damage to RAF aircraft [and] we have credible reports of them targeting Jewish-owned businesses here in the United Kingdom, and there are other reasons, which we can’t disclose because of national security.”
Ms Davies-Jones added,
“But they are a proscribed terrorist organisation and anyone showing support for that terrorist organisation will feel the full force of the law.”
What did Nazir Afzal say about the Palestine Action arrests?
Nazir Afzal, ex-prosecutor, warned that prosecuting those arrested could overwhelm courts and be a “waste of time.”
He added,
“These would probably be jury trials as each of them would be advised to plead not guilty and expect a trial in 2027 at the earliest. I also suspect that no jury would convict anyhow.”
What did Amnesty International say about UK protest arrests?
Amnesty International chief executive Sacha Deshmukh stated,
“Peaceful protest is a fundamental right. People are understandably outraged by the ongoing genocide being committed in Gaza and are entitled under international human rights law to express their horror.”
He added,
“We have long criticised UK terrorism law for being excessively broad and vaguely worded and a threat to freedom of expression. These arrests demonstrate that our concerns were justified.”
What did Sam Grant say about mass arrests at protests?
Sam Grant, director of external relations at Liberty, added,
“The scenes we saw over the weekend of mass arrests at public protests are deeply concerning. That hundreds of people were arrested under these powers further highlights the dangerous breadth and vagueness of the UK’s anti-terrorism laws. Conflating protest activity with terrorism rightly has the general public scratching their heads.”
Huda Ammori’s views on the Parliament Square protest
Palestine Action co-founder, Huda Ammori, said the Parliament Square protest would
“go down in our country’s history as a momentous act of collective defiance of an unprecedented attack on our fundamental freedoms.”
She argued that the current ban is unenforceable, pointing out that most detained at the protest were given street bail and released.
What did Yvette Cooper say about the Palestine Action protests?
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper stated,
“The right to protest is one we protect fiercely, but this is very different from displaying support for this one specific and narrow, proscribed organisation. Palestine Action was proscribed based on strong security advice following serious attacks the group has committed, involving violence, significant injuries and extensive criminal damage. It also follows an assessment from the Joint Terrorism Assessment Centre that the group prepares for terrorism, as well as concerning information referencing plans and ideas for further attacks, the details of which cannot yet be publicly reported due to ongoing legal proceedings.”
She said,
“Many people may not yet know the reality of this organisation, but the assessments are very clear – this is not a non-violent organisation. UK national security and public safety must always be our top priority.”
Ms Cooper added,
“Their actions are not about the horrific suffering in the Middle East and do not reflect or represent the thousands of people across the country who are exercising their rights to protest peacefully.”
What did Downing Street say about the Palestine Action ban?
In response to arrests, Downing Street backed the move to proscribe Palestine Action, describing it as violent and linked to serious incidents.
The Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre confirmed the group carried out three separate acts of terrorism.
What did Tim Crosland say about the Palestine Action protests?
Tim Crosland, Defend Our Juries co-founder, stated,
“Already we’re hearing from hundreds of people wanting to take part in the next one, so expecting it to be even bigger.”
He added,
“People are now seeing an arrest for terrorism as a badge of honour for resistance to genocide.”
How many protesters were detained in London’s largest arrests since 1990?
The Metropolitan Police confirmed that 532 arrests were made, with 522 related to displaying items supporting a proscribed organisation.
The mass arrests of protesters last weekend mark the highest number made by the Metropolitan Police at a single event since the 1990 poll tax riot.
The Met stated,
“Given the number of people arrested yesterday, it would have been entirely unrealistic for officers to recognise individuals who returned.”
They added,
“Their focus was rightly on those continuing to commit offences who were still to be arrested. We are as confident as we can be that none of those who returned to Parliament Square rejoined the protesters who were holding placards.”
Key facts about Palestine Action
Palestine Action was founded in 2020 by activists Huda Ammori and Richard Barnard. The group protests UK support for Israeli arms, targeting companies like Elbit Systems. They use vandalism and occupations to stop arms production.
In July 2025, the UK labelled them a terrorist group after damaging RAF planes worth £7 million. Supporting or joining them can lead to 14 years in prison.