Why The Palestine Action Protest Will Be A Particularly Tough Test For Yvette Cooper And The Police

Yvette Cooper Palestine ActionAt least 500 people are expected to openly protest in favour of the proscribed group Palestine Action this Saturday, meaning all eyes will be on the police this weekend.Listed as a terrorist organisation in July, any association or support with this particular pro-Palestine group could result in arrest and possible imprisonment, so the Metropolitan Police may end up trying to apprehend hundreds at once.While London’s officers are used to managing protests, the proscription of this group drew intense backlash and raised fears of censorship – so the stakes are significantly higher for the police.Palestine Action’s (PA) backers insist they will maintain order with their peaceful actions, and intend to protest just by holding up signs which read: “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.” But, to make matters more complicated for the police, a separate, pro-Gaza demonstration set to march through Westminster on the same day – movements which have previously attracted hundreds of thousands of protesters.Demonstrators hold flags as they cross Westminster Bridge during a demonstration in support of the Palestinian people in Gaza, in London, Saturday, May 17, 2025. PA was proscribed after its activists targeted an Israeli defence company’s UK base and an RAF centre. They have launched a judicial review to get the proscription lifted, but that’s still going through the courts, so they are still technically a terror group right now.The campaign group behind the organised demonstration, Defend Our Juries, said they have no intention to try and overwhelm the police system.“If we are allowed to protest peacefully and freely, then that is no bother to anyone,” they said in their briefing documents.Just over a month ago, that alone would not have resulted in an arrest. But now, showing support for a terrorist group can land you behind bars for up to 14 years.The home secretary Yvette Cooper has faced intense criticism for choosing to proscribe PA, even from fellow Labour MPs like Clive Lewis, who warned the proscription “undermined democracy” and told parliament it risks “confusing dissent and terror”.Former cabinet minister Lord Hain, now a Labour peer, also said he was “deeply ashamed” of the government’s actions.The UN human rights chief Volker Turk has publicly denounced it, too, calling it a “disturbing” misuse of counter-terrorism legislation, “totally disproportionate and unnecessary”.With so much backlash, all eyes will be on the police – and Cooper – on the way they handle the protest.The home secretary has also doubled down on her proscription move, warning PA “is not a non violent organisation” and that she had seen “disturbing information” about what they had planned.Similarly, Downing Street warned on Monday: “Those who seek to support this group may yet not know the true nature of this organisation.”But, due to the controversy around the proscription, HuffPost UK understands it’s likely many other people may also show up to support the demonstration, despite ministers’ best attempts to deter anyone from attending.It means crowds are likely to gather around the PA protest, even if they do not actively show they are in support of the proscribed group – further complicating the police’s job.Arresting that 500 people for terror offences all at once is also highly unusual – especially considering in the year ending March 31, 2025, British police arrested just 232 people for terrorist-related activity.That creates what human rights organisations – speaking to HuffPost UK anonymously, due to the sensitivities around Palestine Action – suggested would be a very complex situation to manage.There’s also a question if police will try to arrest people before the protest begins –something officers do have powers to do, and have done before as seen in the anti-monarchy protests ahead of King Charles’ coronation – although they are more likely just to block off Parliament Square.Police patrol a protest by 'Not My King' demonstrators near the route to be take by Britain's King Charles III coronation procession in London, Saturday, May 6, 2023. Anonymous legal experts told HuffPost UK this has become a “macho test of strength and will” between the police and the protesters.In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said they believed the demonstrators were trying to place “a strain on the police and the wider criminal justice system”, but they are “very experienced in dealing with large scale protests – including where the protest activity crosses into criminality requiring arrests.”The force continued: “While we will not go into the specific details of our plan, the public can be assured that we will have the resources and processes in place to respond to any eventuality.“Our officers will continue to apply the law in relation to Palestine Action as we have done since its proscription. Anyone showing support for the group can expect to be arrested.” I call again on the Met police to think carefully before making rash decisions this weekendAmnesty International chief executive Sacha DeschmukhThe Met also announced on Friday that they had officers coming from outside of London to help monitor events.They also warned about the prospect of mass arrests, writing: “Previous such protests have seen more than 100 arrests made in total.”More than 200 people supporting the group were arrested across the UK last month with many holding the placards in support of Palestine Action, including pensioners.Their statement comes shortly after Amnesty International wrote to the Met’s Chief Commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, calling for the police to exercise restraint.Amnesty’s chief executive Sacha Deschmukh said: “At a time when people are quite rightly outraged by the genocide they see being perpetrated in Gaza, it is more crucial than ever that there is space to peacefully express that outrage.“I call again on the Met police to think carefully before making rash decisions this weekend – their job is to facilitate peaceful protest, not shut it down.”Amnesty also pointed out that prison bosses have been making spaces in prison amid a potential influx of protesters, after the Ministry of Justice created “capacity gold demand”.They also warned that – usually – the arrest of anyone peacefully protesting, aside from holding up a sign, would be a breach of international law.The human right campaign group said: “Under international law, protest speech can only be criminalised if it incites violence, serious damage to property, hatred or discrimination. In the case of this weekend’s protest, holding a placard and peacefully stating support for Palestine Action cannot be treated as an example of incitement.”Meanwhile, human rights Liberty group declined to talk about Palestine Action directly, but explained why peaceful demonstrations are so important.Sam Grant, the group’s director of external relations, pointed out that “successive governments have brought in new laws designed to clamp down on our right to protest”.He pointed to the Tories’ 2022 law which “gave police the power to ban any protest that was too noisy” and the 2023 Public Order Act which criminalised locking-on.He added: “Worryingly, even more legislation is going through parliament right now, which would prevent the wearing of masks at protests, putting disabled protesters and political campaigners at particular risk.“It’s vital that everyone is able to stand up for what they believe in, and that must be protected through our right to protest. “The government must urgently review all protest laws that are in place, and ensure protests can take place safely.”It is true the Met in particular has drawn serious criticism over the last few years for what was perceived as a heavy-handed approach to demonstrations, such as the Sarah Everard vigil during Covid or the management of Extinction Rebellion protests.Now the police are dealing with a gathering in support of a proscribed group, PA there’s an extra pressure for the Met, and Cooper, to take a measured approach – while sticking to the law.Will they pull it off? Related...Labour Peer 'Deeply Ashamed' At Government's Decision To Ban Palestine ActionWhy Is The Government Proscribing Palestine Action As A Terrorist Organisation?Will Starmer's Plan To Recognise Palestine As A State Actually Make A Difference?

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Why The Palestine Action Protest Will Be A Particularly Tough Test For Yvette Cooper And The Police

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