The arrests follow the banning of direct action group Palestine Action under the terrorism act
Police carry a protester away at a Gaza ceasefire protest in Manchester city centre today(Image: Defend Our Juries)
Police arrested 16 people for alleged terror offences during a Gaza ceasefire protest in Manchester city centre.
The arrests follow the banning of direct action group Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act. Pictures from a protest on Saturday (July 12) show several people gathered at the Emmeline Pankhurst statue in St Peter’s Square holding cardboard signs.
Video footage from the scene shows police carrying away some of the demonstrators.
A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said: “At around 2.30pm this afternoon we responded to a protest taking place in St Peter’s Square. 16 people were arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000.
“The group peacefully dissipated at around 3.25pm. As of Saturday, July 5, the direct action group Palestine Action is a proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000 which means that it is now a terrorism offence to belong to Palestine Action, express support for Palestine Action, either in person or online, including through social media, arrange a meeting in support of Palestine Action and wear clothing or carry articles (including flags or signs) expressing support for Palestine Action.”
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A spokesperson for campaign group Defend Our Juries, which helped organise the protest, said: “In the whole of last year there were just 248 arrests for Terrorism Act offences. In just the last week there’ve been nearly half that number, all for people holding cardboard signs, opposing genocide and supporting those acting to stop it.”
Last month Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced plans to ban Palestine Action after activists from the group allegedly broke into RAF Brize Norton and vandalised two military aircraft with spray paint. It means Palestine Action have been placed in the same proscribed category as al-Qaida, Hamas and the far-right National Action.
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The move has been widely criticised by human rights groups. Tom Southerden, of Amnesty International UK, said: “Terrorism powers should never have been used to aggravate criminal charges against Palestine Action activists and they certainly shouldn’t be used to ban them.
“Instead of suppressing protest against the UK’s military support for Israel, the UK should be taking urgent action to prevent Israel’s genocide and end any risk of UK complicity in it.”