Police Arrest 117 at Protest After Court Upholds Ban on Palestine Action

London police arrested 117 people outside the Royal Courts of Justice on Monday on suspicion of expressing support for a proscribed organisation. The arrests followed a protest held shortly after the Court of Appeal ruled that the Home Secretary's decision to ban the group was lawful.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said the judgment confirmed that expressing support for the organisation remains a criminal offence.

Five judges sided with the government and upheld the July 5 ban.

Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr stated that comparisons to historical protest groups were seriously flawed and that an earlier High Court decision had understated the Home Secretary's discretion. The organisation's co-founder brought the legal challenge after three judges earlier ruled the proscription unlawful. The ban makes membership or support punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said officers arrested 117 people at the Royal Courts of Justice protest. City of London Police arrested two additional people outside the Old Bailey. Since the ban took effect, the Metropolitan Police have arrested more than 3,000 people on suspicion of expressing support for the organisation.

The spokesman added that officers will continue to arrest those who break the law.