Palestine Action arrests to resume while government appeal ongoing, Met says

The Metropolitan Police has said it will resume arresting protesters for supporting the proscribed group Palestine Action.

The force had indicated that its officers would be unlikely to make arrests after a High Court judgement in February ruled the government's ban of the group under anti-terror legislation was unlawful.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner James Harman said: "That means it is still a criminal offence to support Palestine Action.

We must enforce the law as it is at the time, not as it might be at a future date."
"We must do that consistently and without fear or favour," he added.

"While the High Court has found the proscription of Palestine Action to be unlawful, it has confirmed the impact of that judgment will not take effect until the government's appeal has been considered which could take many months."
In a High Court ruling last month, three senior judges ruled that while Palestine Action had used criminality to promote its aims, its activities had not crossed the very high bar to make it a terrorist organisation.

Protesters at mass rallies have held up signs with slogans such as "I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action".

The trials of hundreds of people accused of holding up the placards have been put on hold while the legal battle over whether the group should have been banned continues.

Earlier this month, Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring said the cases would be delayed until after the High Court Appeal over the ban is heard.

Proscription makes it a criminal offence to belong to or support Palestine Action, punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

Palestine Action ban ruled unlawful but group remains proscribed for now