According to reports from London, the arrests occurred as demonstrators gathered outside the court hearing the case against four members of the "Palestine Action" group: Charlotte Hughes, Samuel Corner, Leonah Kamio, and Fatima Zainab Rajwani. The group was convicted in May for criminal damage related to an August 2024 attack on the Elbit Systems arms factory in Bristol. The peace activists maintain that their actions were necessary to prevent the bombing of Gaza and protect Palestinians.
Dozens of police officers entered the court area, arresting individuals on charges of supporting a "terrorist group," despite the protesters describing the demonstration as peaceful. Witnesses reported that the police treated the activists aggressively while supporters chanted slogans in solidarity with those detained. The protesters accused the UK judiciary and police of complicity in the "genocide" of Palestinians and called for an end to these actions.
London police confirmed that all those arrested are in custody, noting that over 3,200 individuals have been arrested in recent months in connection with pro-Palestine demonstrations. Many of those arrested in previous incidents were charged simply for holding signs reading "I oppose genocide" or "I support Palestine Action."
M.Majdi - H.Hakimzadeh
