After mass arrests, what happens next with Palestine Action ban?

Pictures of last week’s opposition in the Parliament Square on the restricted group Palestine action were unprecedented.

As the protesters read the placards, “I support Palestine Action”, some of them were arrested on suspicion of breaking terrorism laws – more than double the total arrest in 2024.

Police said their average age was 54. Some of them were 112 over 70 years old.

Battle on the ban on Palestine Action (PAG) – last month, was prosecuted as a terrorist organization in Britain – now seems more as a political and PR fight as a legal.

And the organizers of the campaign are trying to capitalize on the alleged sympathy among some people by organizing another demonstration in September – the state, through the number, hoping to force the ban.

how does it end?

Does it risk becoming “I Spartacus moment”? – Baronic Shami Chakraborty, Labor Peer and Words of Civil Rights Preacher?

This three court room depends on the fight, which will affect each, affects how Palestine’s action is considered publicly and legally.

Let us start with the protesters arrested from July to show support for the group – more than 700 so far.

A lawyer says that this is still strange for police officers.

Solicitor Katie McFaden said, “I have seen that the police is incredibly uncomfortable with the fact that they consider these elderly people as criminals.”

“I have seen them in police custody and they are definitely thoughtful and seen, clearly, quite surprised and frightened that it is what they do as part of their jobs, when they have signed up to go out and protect the public from dangerous criminals.”

The real challenge for police and prosecutors is how many protesters need to be charged with the support of a banned terrorist organization to send messages to the public. And what messages do they send if they do not charge them all?

As yet, Three people have been charged During the first demonstration on 5 July, with displaying items showing support for Palestine Action. They will all appear in court next month.

Stephen Parkinson, director of Public Prosecution, had to consult the Attorney General’s office before proceeding with allegations due to additional security measures in some terrorism cases.

This means that Lord Hermer, Attorney General and a Cabinet Minister, or their deputy may also have to join each file that the police sends to the prosecutors.

In turn, this means that the vast majority of 700 may not know for months whether they are going to end on the test – in cases that may be more than a year away from a jury.

Just assuming that they receive charge, history suggests that the risk of maximum 14 years sentence is low.

Traditionally, such a punishment leaves careers in tatters and has other life-changing effects.

The equation is different for some Palestine Action Peritants.

There are many older people who have graduated from participation in climate change activism and believe that the restriction -free speech violates safety measures. It seems that many people are less apprehensive about the effect of arrest on their day-to-day life.

So is the ban on Palestine Action A legal and PR disaster for Home Secretary Yett Cooper?

Hooda Ammori, co-founder of Palestine Action, has said on social media: “The system cannot withstand the system when opposed.”

But the ministers hope that the difference between the organization and other forms of opposition on Gaza will soon be clear thanks to the other of the three -associated legal battles to take the center stage.

In August 2024, PAG supporters reportedly broke the ELBIT Systems UK in Bristol, an Israeli defense firm that has been an important target for a long time.

A renovated gel van collapsed through a security fence and craub and a Sledaimmer was allegedly used to break the equipment.

Three people were injured: one security guard and two police officers.

Palestine Action promoted a video of damage – but no photographs of the alleged attacks.

Those allegations start coming for trial in November. Some 18 people deny allegations, including criminal damage, actual physical damage, violent disorders and increased theft from the attack.

The incident motivated the National Security Officers and the police to see if a terrorism ban on PAG could be justified, earlier concluded that its highly disruptive activities had caused a minor criminal damage to the vast majority of activities.

The documents mentioned to the BBC in the High Court shows how the thinking on the ban had developed. Officials said Palestine’s action was becoming more militant. It reportedly produced an “underground manual” that it was claimed how to plan “break-in”, faced with masks, burner phones and fake car number plates.

“With a skilled sledaimmer in your hand, you can cause considerable damage,” the manual read before expanding the way to do so.

And this is the place where Britain has a detailed definition of terrorism. This involves not only the danger or use of violence to carry forward a reason – but also the use of severe criminal damage.

This is because in the 1990s, IRA started causing economic damage through bombs without taking life.

So when Cooper banned the PAG, his decision was largely informed about what the house office described as a criminal damage of millions of pounds, not assessing that it was a group of deadly terrorists.

The Home Secretary said after last Saturday’s arrest, “Propription is about a narrow group, including violent attacks, including injuries, including weapons, smoke bombs, which causes nervousness among innocent people, major criminal damage.”

“There may be people who are objecting to the process, who do not know the complete nature of this organization due to court sanctions on reporting, while serious prosecution is going on, but it is really important that no one is in any doubt that it is not a non -violent organization.”

Ms. Ammori has said in this character that the government’s own papers show that Palestine’s action does not advocate violence.

This brings us to the third of the three major legal challenges that will decide this relationship: was the Home Secretary correct?

The High Court would consider in autumn if the ban was a rational and proportional reaction to the pug activities.

Jonathan Hall Casey, an independent guards of terrorism laws, has earlier told BBC News that the ban is legally working as the group transferred from protest to protest against protests to protests – increasing pressure to get what it wanted.

But Ms. Ammori’s legal team has important arguments around the freedom of protest.

The United Nations Human Rights Head Volcar Turks have also joined, saying that the ban is so wrong that it keeps Britain out of international law.

The result of that case will define whether Palestine’s action is banned. If the ban falls, 700 arrested so far are free – their cases will collapse. For the group itself, it can feel – but it would be known that if its functions cross the line of terrorism laws, it can be restricted again.

If the ban stands, the benefit will be with the government – and arrest and fee will continue.

This is the counter-terrarator policing way: gradually but of course, step by step, seek to contain and eventually, crush the danger.