London Police Arrest Dozens Of Demonstrators Of Pro-Palestinian Groups Forbidden

JAKARTA - London Police arrested dozens of protesters for supporting the banned pro-Palestinian group in demonstrations on Saturday.

The demonstration continued despite requests to cancel it after the deadly attack on the sinagoge in Manchester.

Two people were killed in the attack on the northwestern city of England on Thursday. Police shot dead the perpetrator, a British man of Syrian descent who according to police anti-terrorism may be inspired by extremist Islamist ideology.

Demonstrations rejected the police and government's request to cancel demonstrations on Saturday, October 4, which had been announced before the attack, to protest the ban on pro-Palestinian groups, Palestine Action, under anti-terrorism laws.

"I urge anyone who is thinking of protesting this weekend to acknowledge and respect the sadness of the British Jews," British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.

"This is a moment of mourning. This is not the time to spark tensions and cause more suffering. This is the time to unite," he said.

Police arrested protesters at Trafalgar Square in central London as they wrote slogans on a placard expressing support for Palestine Action, which was banned in July after its members broke into the airbase and damaged military aircraft.

Hundreds of people gathered to protest, applaud and encourage those arrested as they were carried through the crowd by the police without a fight.

The audience shouted "hit you guys" at the officers.

"I'm actually fed up with the police, they shouldn't have caught protesters who didn't commit violence here," said protester Angie Zelter.

"We have the right to protest and Palestine Action is not an organization that commits violence, it should never have been banned from the start," he continued.

Six people were arrested separately after unfurling the Palestine Action banner on the Westminster Bridge outside the parliament building.

The demonstration is the latest in a series of protests, in which hundreds of people have been arrested for opposing a ban that makes it a violation to show support for Palestine Action.