A Cabinet minister today warned Brits to ‘stay away’ from a planned Palestine Action protest this weekend.
Organisers have said more than 500 people are willing to risk arrest by taking part in Saturday’s demonstration in support of the terror group in central London.
The Government moved to ban Palestine Action after two Voyager aircraft were damaged at RAF Brize Norton in June – an incident the group said it was behind.
It means that membership of, or support for, the now-proscribed group is a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison, under the Terrorism Act 2000.
Ahead of Saturday’s protest against the group’s proscription, the Met Police has warned anyone found to be expressing support for Palestine Action ‘can expect to be arrested’.
It has also emerged how prison bosses will make room for a possible influx of arrested demonstrators amid concerns that some jails are close to full.
But, days out from the planned protest, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy sought to head off potentially chaotic scenes in the capital.
She urged the public to steer clear of support for a ‘proscribed terror organisation that wishes harm on the British people’.
Speaking to Times Radio, Ms Nandy was asked if those who attend Saturday’s protest will be arrested and charged with terror offences.
The Culture Secretary stressed this would be ‘an operational matter for the police’, adding: ‘It wouldn’t be right for us to say, to try and dictate to them how they police any march.
‘But what I would say is, I think some of the reporting around this is conflating legitimate protests.
‘Just last week I was coming out of Parliament, there were lots of pro-Palestinian protesters there, peacefully demonstrating.
‘At the heart of power, that’s absolutely right and proper and important for them to do… I commend them for that.
‘There’s a difference between that and supporting a proscribed terror organisation that wishes harm on the British people.
‘And I would just urge people to stay away from those sorts of events and to exercise their democratic rights in a peaceful and legitimate way.’
Organisers said those taking part in Saturday’s protest will hold ‘I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action’ signs as part of a campaign to end the group’s proscription.
Defend Our Juries added that the protest would go ahead as planned after the ‘conditional commitment requirement’ was reached.
They denied that the planned mass protest will try to overwhelm the police and justice system.
More than 200 people were arrested at a wave of protests across the UK in response to the proscription last month as part of the campaign co-ordinated by Defend Our Juries.
Many of the protesters were detained after writing and holding up the message ‘I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action’ on placards or pieces of cardboard.
According to The Guardian, the Ministry of Justice has initiated ‘capacity gold command’ – which is put in plae when the number of prisoners across the estate reaches critical levels – as it attempts to manage the use of jail cells.
There are also expected to be at least eight planned demonstrations outside hotels housing asylum seekers this weekend.
Tom Wheatley, the president of the Prison Governors’ Association, told the newspaper: ‘Any spike in the numbers of people remanded in custody will have an impact on prisons.
‘HMPPS HQ is again operating ‘capacity gold command’ arrangements to direct governors to move prisoners to ensure capacity is available.
‘Governors in reception prisons will be directed to move prisoners over the weekend in order to create space.
‘This will mean sometimes moving prisoners long distances to prisons that have room to create it in those that don’t.
‘This is far from ideal in that resettling prisoners from prisons a long way from where they are going to live on release is difficult logistically and less likely to be successful.’
A Met Police spokesperson said: ‘We are aware that the organisers of Saturday’s planned protest are encouraging hundreds of people turn out with the intention of placing a strain on the police and the wider criminal justice system.
‘The Met is very experienced in dealing with large-scale protests, including where the protest activity crosses into criminality requiring arrests.
‘While we will not go into the specific details of our plan, the public can be assured that we will have the resources and processes in place to respond to any eventuality.
‘Our officers will continue to apply the law in relation to Palestine Action as we have done since its proscription.
‘Anyone showing support for the group can expect to be arrested.’