UK protesters plan mass rally against ban on Palestine Action

LONDON

The organizers of protests supporting Palestine Action, a group banned under the UK’s anti-terrorism laws, said Wednesday that they aim to double the turnout from their last rally in a push to overturn the decision.

Last Saturday’s protest in London’s Parliament Square drew more people than expected, with the organizers initially anticipating 500.

The next demonstration, set for Sept. 6, will go ahead only if 1,000 people commit to attending.

Police arrested 532 participants at the previous rally, almost all under Section 13 of the UK Terrorism Act, for carrying placards that said “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action.”

Defend Our Juries, the pressure group leading the campaign, said such a turnout could force the government to reverse the ban.

“It is vital that our campaign succeeds -- not just for Palestine Action but for democracy,” the group said in a statement. “Once the meaning of ‘terrorism’ is detached from campaigns of violence against civilians and applied to those causing economic damage or embarrassment to the powerful, the right to free expression is meaningless and democracy is dead. If we let this go, unions and climate and racial justice movements will be next.”

"But the Government has overreached itself. Our groups and movements are coming together like never before, finding unity under repression. By refusing to give into fear and by standing together, we will face down this assault on us all," the group added.

The government announced plans to ban Palestine Action in June under the Terrorism Act 2000 after activists from the group spray-painted military aircraft at a Royal Air Force base -- an act under investigation by counter-terrorism police. Lawmakers in the House of Commons and the House of Lords approved the order in July.

Palestine Action describes itself as a direct-action network targeting companies involved in supplying Israel’s military.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights publicly criticized the UK’s decision, and the UN special rapporteur on counter-terrorism and human rights has been allowed to intervene in the judicial review.

The High Court has also granted Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori permission to challenge the ban in a full judicial review against the order issued by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.