Cooper defends Palestine Action ban again as 60 more face charges

The home secretary has reiterated his support for the proscription of Palestine Action as a terrorist group, saying that it is more than

a regular protest group known for occasional stunts. Yvette Cooper, a writer for the Observer, said the corporation had claimed responsibility for incidents that culminated in the arrest of those who were later charged with a variety of offences, including violent disorder and aggravated burglary. She said the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had ruled that these allegations had a

terrorism connection. Her remarks came after the Metropolitan Police announced on Friday that a further 60 people would be jailed for showing their support for Palestine Action.

Since the government barred the organisation from operating on July 5th, more than 700 protesters have been arrested, including more than 500 at a protest in central London last week. Following a demonstration in Norwich city centre on Saturday, Norfolk Police arrested 13 people accused of supporting the group. More trials were anticipated in the coming weeks, according to the Met,

that will allow us to look into and prosecute significant numbers every week if necessary. Palestine Action has been involved in activities that have mainly targeted arms firms since the start of the current war in Gaza. Since activists from the group caused an estimated £7 million loss to jets at RAF Brize Norton in June, Cooper decided to ban the group. Although many people were aware of the incident, the home secretary said that fewer would be aware of other incidents for which the organization had claimed responsibility. In August 2024, alleged PAG supporters broke into Elbit Systems UK in Bristol, an Israeli defence company that has long been a main target. A used jail van was smashed through a security fence and people were reportedly injured, and a police van was stolen. A security guard and two police officers were wounded, injuring three people. Palestine Action distributed a video of the violence, but not any photos of the suspected attacks. In November, the charges would begin to be heard in court. 18 people deny charges such as criminal harm, assault causing real bodily harm, violent disorder, and aggravated burglary. Cooper also referred to a so-called

Underground Manualfrom the company, which she saidencourages cell manufacture

and gives practical advice on how to identify targets to strike and how to avoid law enforcement. Cooper said,

these are not the activities of a legitimate protest group. She also reiterated a statement made earlier this week that some people who were supporting Palestine Action out of fear for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza were unaware of the organization's true nature.

No one should encourage desperate calls for peace in the Middle East to be derailled into a movement to help one small group of people in the United Kingdom,

Cooper said. The government's ban on Palestine Action means that members or support for the group became a criminal offence and could face up to 14 years in prison. Last month, the organization gained permission to challenge the ban, and its case will be heard in the High Court in November. The ban, according to the organization, has infringed the right to free expression and has acted as a gag on legitimate demonstrations.

Both the condemnation of Palestine Action as a terrorist group and the subsequent detention of hundreds of people have been criticized by human rights organizations. Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International's chief executive, said earlier this week that the reaction to last weekend's demonstration was disproportionate.

We've long criticized the UK terrorism law for being overspacious and vaguely worded, and it poses a threat to freedom of expression. These arrests show that our suspicions were justified,

he said. The United Kingdom is not one of Israel's top arms manufacturers, but it does have some parts for the F-35 multi-role fighter jet, which has been used extensively by Israel to attack Gaza. Hundreds of surveillance flights have flown over Gaza since December 2023, including Shadow R1 spy planes based at an RAF base in Akrotiri, nearby Cyprus. However, the foreign minister has maintained that the flights did not result in the disclosure of any military intelligence with the Israeli military.