Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters are set to flout terror laws in a coordinated bid to overwhelm the police, according to reports. Campaigners are planning demonstrations on Saturday in support of Palestine Action, which was recently banned as a terror group.
The ban means that membership of, or support for, the organisation is a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Rallies are planned for towns and cities across the UK, but the main event is due to be in London where thousands of people are being urged to attend.
The plot is being organised by a number of groups including Cage International and Defend Our Juries, according to The Telegraph.
A briefing document, drafted by Defend Our Juries, warns that “joining this campaign comes with risk”.
But it adds: “It would be practically and politically difficult for the state to respond to an action on this scale.
“Even assuming it had the physical capacity to arrest so many people on the same day, the political fallout from such an operation would be incalculable, causing irreparable damage to the reputation of the Government and the police.
“Our assessment is that an action on this scale could be enough for the ban to be lifted.
“Charging and prosecuting at least 500 more people, in addition to the 200 people already arrested, is likely to be beyond the capacity of the state, given the current situation in the criminal justice system.”
The document goes on: “Although there’s a substantial risk of arrest, and all taking part should be prepared for that, no one has yet been charged with an offence and no one has been remanded to prison.”
Experts warned that the action could create a major problem for police forces if thousands of people deliberately break the law.
Palestine Action was banned by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper on July 5 after the group claimed responsibility for action in which two Voyager planes were damaged at RAF Brize Norton on June 20.
Palestine Action’s co-founder has won a bid to bring a High Court challenge over the ban.