Campaign group Defend Our Juries (DOJ) has called on the head of Metropolitan Police Sir Mark Rowley to tell his officers not to arrest protesters at a rally against the ban on Palestine Action on Saturday.
Hundreds of people will take part demonstrations in London, Belfast and Edinburgh, with plans for more than 1,000 to take part in Parliament Square by sitting silently, holding signs saying: “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action”.
On Friday, DOJ said it has sent a letter to Sir Mark ahead of the protest in Westminster.
It said police forces in Edinburgh, Totnes, Derry and Kendall had all decided not to arrest sign-holders.
The letter said: “You do not need to endlessly repeat the embarrassing charade of arresting people who are acting peacefully and lawfully in front of the world’s press, bringing policing into disrepute.
“As the hundreds start to become thousands, maybe it’s time to put a cap on your losses and give your hardworking and overstretched men and women some well-deserved rest?
“No more violations of international law, no more officers wondering how long they can tolerate serving in a force that compels them to carry away elderly, frail vicars into police vans and police cells.
“No more officers, facing burnout, feeling ‘ashamed and sick’ for arresting people with disabilities for terrorism.”
It comes after six people who are alleged to be members of the DOJ, or working closely with it, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday to deny terror offences after being alleged to have tried to organise mass gatherings with the aim of rendering the ban on Palestine Action unenforceable.
The charges related to plans for meetings in London, Cardiff and Manchester which were allegedly organised over Zoom meetings in July, August and this month.
After the charges were announced on Wednesday, Detective Chief Superintendent Helen Flanagan, head of operations for Scotland Yard’s counter-terrorism command, said: “Palestine Action is clearly proscribed as a terrorist group, and those showing support for this particular group, or encouraging others to do so can expect to be arrested, investigated and prosecuted.”
Palestine Action was banned as a terror organisation in July after the group claimed responsibility for an action in which two Voyager planes were damaged at RAF Brize Norton on June 20.
The Home Office is set to appeal against the High Court ruling allowing Palestine Action’s co-founder Huda Ammori to proceed with a legal challenge against the Government over the group’s ban.
Ms Ammori took legal action against the department over Home Secretary Yvette Cooper’s decision to proscribe the group under anti-terror laws, which made membership of, or support for, the direct action group a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
The Metropolitan Police has been contacted for further comment.