"The violence we encountered during the operation was co-ordinated and carried out by a group of people, many wearing masks to conceal their identity, intent on creating as much disorder as possible. Many of those individuals have now been arrested and we have begun securing charges. The contrast between this demonstration and the other protests we policed yesterday, including the Palestine Coalition march attended by around 20,000 people, was stark."
"The fact that 857 out of 1,500 were arrested and that this took 11 hours, makes a mockery of the ban on Palestine Action and shows once again that it is impossible to enforce. Rather than arrest thousands more ordinary citizens, from vicars and priests, war veterans and descendants of Holocaust survivors to retired teachers and healthcare workers, who are predominantly elderly and many"
Around 1,500 people gathered in Parliament Square, Westminster. The force condemned the "intolerable" abuse its officers suffered during the protest. A total of 890 people were arrested, including 857 for showing support for a proscribed group and 33 for assaulting police officers and other public order offences. Police described the violence as coordinated, with many masked individuals intent on creating disorder, and said many suspects have been arrested and charges are being secured. Organisers Defend Our Juries characterised the rally as peaceful, with attendees sitting and holding signs, and urged Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to drop an unenforceable ban.
Read at Irish Independent
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