Police arrest 13 at Norwich Palestine Action protest

A Norwich protest ended with 13 arrests on suspicion of displaying support for a proscribed group.

Police arrest 13 at Palestine Action protest in Norwich

Norfolk police arrested 13 people outside City Hall in Norwich on Saturday on suspicion of displaying support for Palestine Action, a group now proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000. The arrests followed a protest in St Peters Street as officers assessed placards referencing the organisation. Five people were taken to the Wymondham police investigation centre for questioning; the remaining eight were spoken to and later de-arrested. A 14th sign was seized during the event.

The arrests come as the Metropolitan Police announced more prosecutions of individuals linked to Palestine Action since the group was banned on July 5. The Met said it could investigate and prosecute significant numbers each week if necessary. Greenpeace and Human Rights Watch have urged the attorney general to pause prosecutions until a legal challenge to the ban is heard. Palestine Action was proscribed last month by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper after the group claimed responsibility for damage to jets at RAF Brize Norton and was linked to allegations of assaults at a business premises in Gloucestershire.

The case tests the balance between public safety and the right to peaceful protest. Proscription gives authorities a legal lever, but it also raises questions about how broad such bans should be and who is affected on the street level. The police tone emphasizes order and legality, while the broader debate centers on civil liberties and the risk of chilling dissent in public spaces. In the weeks ahead, court challenges and new prosecutions will likely shape how freely groups can campaign and how aggressively the state can police protest under broad security laws.

Highlights

The road ahead will reveal how firmly the law will be applied in political street action.