139 arrested at pro-Palestine protest in London

 Bangla Press Desk : In London, the capital of the United Kingdom, police have arrested at least 139 people during a protest against the banning of an organization called ‘Palestine Action.’ Hundreds of people participated in the demonstration outside the U.S. Embassy on Saturday (October 31).
This information was reported by the Qatar-based news outlet Al Jazeera.

According to the report, ‘Palestine Action’ has been designated as a ‘terrorist organization’ under UK law. The decision to ban the group came into effect in July of last year, during the tenure of the government led by then-Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Prior to the protest, the police had issued warnings against participating in the gathering; however, hundreds of people ignored these warnings and joined the demonstration. In a post on the social media platform X on Saturday evening, the London Metropolitan Police confirmed that 139 individuals had been arrested. Earlier in the day, the police had reported the detention of 48 people. Most of those arrested face allegations of expressing support for a proscribed organization.

Labour Party Member of Parliament John McDonnell criticized the police’s stance. In a post on X, he argued that protesting against a government decision to ban an organization does not automatically imply that an individual supports that group or has committed an arrestable offense.

He further stated his belief that the government made a mistake in deciding to ban ‘Palestine Action’ as a terrorist organization.

An appeal hearing challenging the legality of the ban is scheduled to take place at the UK Supreme Court next Wednesday; Saturday’s protest occurred ahead of this proceeding. The decision to designate ‘Palestine Action’ as a terrorist organization has sparked intense debate in various quarters. Critics argue that this move is part of a broader effort to suppress pro-Palestinian voices.

As a result of the ban, ‘Palestine Action’ has been added to the UK’s list of proscribed organizations—a list that also includes groups such as Al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS).

Bp/Sp