Met Police Chief Condemns Planned London Protest Backing Palestine Action

London’s Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has expressed his “shock and frustration” over a planned protest in support of Palestine Action, set to take place in central London on Monday. The protest, backed by 35 groups including the Stop the War Coalition and MEND, follows a high-profile break-in by Palestine Action activists at RAF Brize Norton, where red paint was sprayed on military aircraft in protest against the UK’s support for Israel.

With Home Secretary James Cleverly reportedly preparing to formally proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation, Sir Mark described the group as an “organised extremist criminal group”. He stressed that while the Met currently lacks the legal authority to prevent the protest, conditions under the Public Order Act have been imposed. Protesters will only be allowed to gather between 12:00 and 15:00, and not within the designated exclusion zone covering much of Westminster.

Palestine Action confirmed on social media that the protest will be held at Trafalgar Square, outside the restricted zone. Meanwhile, human rights groups including Amnesty International and figures like Baroness Shami Chakrabarti have voiced concerns over the proposed ban, warning it could criminalise peaceful dissent. The move to proscribe the group has drawn both praise and criticism across the political spectrum amid ongoing debates over protest rights and the war in Gaza.

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