POLICE ARREST 72 AT WOOLWICH COURT PROTEST SUPPORTING PALESTINE ACTION

Police arrested 72 people outside Woolwich Crown Court in south-east London during a protest in support of Palestine Action, a proscribed terror group. The arrests occurred as a judge prepared to sentence four activists for a factory raid. The protest took place outside the courthouse where the sentencing hearing was being held.

Palestine Action is a group that has been proscribed under terror legislation. The four activists facing sentencing had been charged in connection with a raid on a facility linked to an Israeli defence firm. The arrests at the courthouse represented a significant police response to the demonstration.

The incident demonstrates ongoing tensions surrounding protests linked to the Israel-Palestine conflict in the United Kingdom. Proscribed organisations are banned under British law, and supporting such groups can result in criminal charges. The sentencing hearing for the four activists proceeded as scheduled.