212 Protesters Arrested in London's Palestine Action English: 212 Protesters Arrested in London's Palestine Action

JAKARTA - At least 212 demonstrators were arrested by the authorities during an action in Trafalgar Square, Saturday, April 11 against the banned Palestine Action activist group.

The London Metropolitan Police said the arrests were made because the participants were considered to show support for the banned organization. Legal proceedings against the demonstrators are still ongoing.

"Officers continue to process those who have been arrested and the investigation is still ongoing," the police said in a statement.

The action was known to have been organized by the group Defend Our Juries. Although the demonstration has ended and the masses have dispersed, the authorities have continued to handle the law against the participants who were secured.

On the other hand, Defend Our Juries considered the police's actions excessive. Through the social media X, they said the police had arrested peaceful demonstrators illegally, including participants who only carried placards supporting Palestine.

Criticism also came from Amnesty UK. The organization called this mass arrest a blow to civil liberties.

Amnesty also referred to the decision of the British High Court in February which stated that the ban on Palestine Action was legally invalid. "This is not law enforcement, but the criminalization of dissent," Amnesty wrote.

Previously, the Metropolitan Police confirmed that it would continue to prosecute anyone who showed support for Palestine Action, despite the court's ruling on the legality of the ban.

The Palestine Action group itself has been banned since July last year under the Terrorism Act, following the destruction of two military aircraft at the Royal Air Force base, which caused losses of around £7 million.