Mass arrests outside the US Embassy in London: 325 protesters detained in one day
Mass protests took place in front of the US Embassy building located in the Nine Elms district of southern London, the capital of the United Kingdom, ending in a large-scale police arrest operation.
According to Sky News, the Metropolitan Police arrested a total of 325 protesters who had gathered around the building.
Reason for the arrests and Scotland Yard statement
This protest action was directed against an official decision adopted by London and Washington:
Support for a banned movement: Protesters expressed their opposition to the joint decision to include the left-wing Palestine Action movement on the list of terrorist organizations;
Charges under the Terrorism Act: According to Scotland Yard, the vast majority of those detained — 320 people — are accused of publicly supporting a proscribed organization under Britain's Terrorism Act;
Resistance and forced removal: The police department noted that officers were forced to physically carry protesters who refused to comply with lawful orders and refused to disperse, escorting them to patrol vehicles.
Upcoming Supreme Court hearings and Amnesty International's reaction
Reporters from the British broadcaster BBC emphasize that the action was deliberately organized:
Tactic to attract court attention: Experts believe that activists consciously chose to be arrested en masse in order to draw widespread public attention to the upcoming meeting of the UK Supreme Court;
November 4 appeal: It is on Wednesday, November 4, that a two-day hearing is scheduled to begin at the UK Supreme Court regarding an appeal filed by a co-founder of Palestine Action against the government's decision to ban the movement;
Human rights defenders' concerns: The influential international organization Amnesty International responded promptly to the situation, calling the mass arrest of citizens who were merely carrying placards under terrorism charges a shameful assault on freedom of speech.
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