The metropolitan police chief has said he is “shocked and frustrated” in a planned protest in support of Palestine’s London action on Monday.
Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said while the right to protest is essential, “actions in support of such a group go beyond what most will see as legal protest.”
It comes after the secretary of the house is understood to be preparing a written statement to settle in front of parliament on Monday to follow the group, effectively calling it a terrorist organization.
On Friday, Palestine’s action activists entered Raf Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and sprinkled the two red military planes in protest against Israel’s support in the UK for the Gaza war.
The planned protest in Central London is supported by 35 groups including various pro-palastinian groups, the Stop The War, Cage and Muslim Development (Mind) coalition.
Describing Palestine’s action as a “organized extremist criminal group”, Sir Mark said that while describing the group, MET had no legal power to prevent the protest from happening.
“However, we have the power to impose conditions on it to prevent disorder, damage and serious disruption to the community,” he added, saying that “violations of the law will be treated by force.”
Met said it would issue conditions for the protest “after they have been confirmed”.
In a previous post on social media, Palestine’s action said “Political Institution is rushing to call us” terrorists “as they adopt the worst crimes against humanity.”
One of the members of the group, Saeed Tayy Farouky, told the BBC on Saturday This government plans to follow the group were “absurd”.
He said the mass “shatters the very fundamental concepts of British democracy and the rule of law,” and added: “It is something that everyone should be terrified.”
Palestine’s action has been engaged in activities aimed at mainly weapons companies since the beginning of the current Gaza war, with the group claiming in May to daubing a US military plane in Ireland.
Mr. Farouky said that “the whole reason to be the group is to break the material supply chain in genocide” and said Friday’s incident was a “escalation in tactics because the genocide is escalated”.
Israel has strongly denied genocide allegations regarding the constant war in Gaza.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the incident on Raf Broize Norton as “shy”. Anti -terrorism police are investigating the division at the base.
The measure to stop Palestine’s action was welcomed by several in Westminster, including former home secretary Suella Bverman, who said the measure to stop the group was “absolutely the correct decision”.
Others have reacted critically, including labor MP Zarah Sultana, who recalled protests against the 2003 war in Iraq: “One million people marched against the illegal war in Iraq and they were right. Now the same scenario is playing again.”
Amnesty International in the UK said Friday that it was “deeply concerned about the use of terrorism powers to target protests”.
Regular protests regarding the Gaza war have been held in London since Israel launched a military campaign to destroy Hamas in response to the cross -border attack on October 7, 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage.
More than 55,000 people have been killed in Gaza since then, including more than 15,000 children, according to the Hamas Ministry of Health, the territory.
