Minister condemns ‘shameful’ assaults on police at Palestine Action demo

Security Minister Dan Jarvis has told MPS it is “absolutely shameful” that there were 17 assaults on members of the police doing their job at a demo in support of Palestine Action last weekend.

He added these, and a total of 890 arrests, including others for violent acts, “rather undermines the credibility of those who say that these are entirely peaceful protests”.

Jarvis was speaking after Labour MP Stella Creasy tabled an urgent question in which she said arresting  protesters for expressing support for Palestine Action is unsustainable.

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Creasy said, “The case for acting on the group itself was and is strong. We’ve seen a pattern of violence at their events, and they have not disassociated themselves from that violence.”

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She also said people who had attended anti-immigrant protests had seen police and refugees targeted, without similar bans.

She continued: “This is just not sustainable for our police and our criminal justice system.

“There is a difference between people protesting using violence, and people protesting the use of proscription.
“If we don’t get the response right, if we continue to arrest those in the second category, the seriousness of the term terrorism risks losing its meaning, becoming diluted rather than strengthened.
“Proscription was supposed to be about stopping those inciting direct harm and violence.”

In response, Home Office minister Jarvis said members of the group, which was banned in July, had been charged with violent disorder, grievous bodily harm with intent, actual bodily harm, and criminal damage.

Weapons had been used in its attacks, he told MPs, as he said Palestine Action had met the threshold for proscription.

He said supporting a proscribed organisation would never be acceptable, regardless of circumstances.

Left-wing MPs were joined by Liberal Democrats and Greens in questioning the government’s decision to proscribe Palestine Action.
Zarah Sultana claimed non-violent protesters arrested included elderly people, disabled people, priests, NHS workers, and the children of Holocaust survivors.

Jarvis said: “Anyone who wishes to demonstrate about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, or the actions of any government, including our own, has the absolute freedom to gather with others and voice their views, provided that they do so within the law.

“But supporting Palestine and supporting a proscribed terrorist organisation are not the same thing.”

He said the advice given to the Home Office said the group had met the tests to be banned under the Terrorism Act 2000.

He continued: “These are not the actions of a legitimate protest group. And for a government to ignore expert security assessments, advice, and recommendations would be highly irresponsible.

“Were there to be further serious attacks or injuries, there would rightly be questions asked about why action had not been taken.”

He added: “Supporting or being a member of a proscribed terrorist organisation is a criminal offence and will never be acceptable, regardless of the wider context.”

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said the Conservatives “fully support, unequivocally, the right to peaceful protest”, but that violence is “never acceptable”.