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LAST UPDATE | 9 Aug 2025
IN BELFAST, A woman in her 70s has been arrested on suspicion “of possession of an article that indicates support for a proscribed organisation”.
The arrest occurred this afternoon in the Linenhall Street area of Belfast city centre. The Journal witnessed the woman, who was wearing a t-shirt supporting the banned Palestine Action group, be placed into the back of a police van by a number of police officers.
Onlookers chanted “let her go” as she was arrested.
Elderly woman arrested for wearing a Palestine Action t-shirt in Belfast. What a truly farcical thing it was to make them a proscribed organisation, what possible purpose does it serve to arrest such people who are peacefully protesting. pic.twitter.com/rShLZdylXQ
— Diarmuid Pepper (@Diarmuid_9) August 9, 2025
One man, aged 43, was also arrested for disorderly behaviour. Both he and the arrested woman, aged 74, remain in custody at this time, a spokesperson for the PSNI said.
Another two males at the same location were cautioned “on suspicion of possession of an article that indicates support for a proscribed organisation”.
The police action in Belfast coincides with widespread action by police in London, who have arrested more than 350 protestors who had been sitting in the middle of Parliament Square.
Police in London arrested at least 365 people for supporting Palestine Action, at the latest and largest protest backing the group since the government banned it last month under anti-terror laws.
The Metropolitan Police said it made the hundreds of arrests, thought to be one of the highest ever at a single protest in the UK capital, for “supporting a proscribed organisation”.
It also arrested seven for other offences including assaults on officers, though none were seriously injured, it added.
The government outlawed Palestine Action in early July days after it took responsibility for a break-in at an air force base in southern England that caused an estimated £7 million of damage to two aircraft.
The group said its activists were responding to Britain’s indirect military support for Israel amid the war in Gaza.
Onlookers applauded the protesters and shouted “shame on you” at the police making arrests.
Defend Our Juries, which organised the demonstration, said between 600 and 700 people were in Parliament Square on Saturday afternoon.
The Metropolitan Police said it would arrest anyone expressing support for Palestine Action.
Palestine Action, which organised the demonstration, has been banned in the UK and labelled a proscribed group.
The ban means that membership of, or support for, Palestine Action is a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison, under the Terrorism Act 2000.
In a post to X, the Metropolitan Police this afternoon said: “Within this crowd a significant number of people are displaying placards expressing support for Palestine Action, which is a proscribed group.
“Officers have moved in and are making arrests.”
It comes days after the first three people to be charged with supporting the group in England and Wales were named.
Jeremy Shippam, 71, Judit Murray, also 71, and Fiona Maclean, 53, have all been charged with displaying an article in a public place, arousing reasonable suspicion that they are a supporter of a proscribed organisation after their attendance at a previous demonstration last month.
More than 200 people have been arrested in the wave of Defend Our Juries protests across the UK since the ban was implemented by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper last month.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan said: “The Met is very experienced at 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.
“Anyone showing support for Palestine Action can expect to be arrested. I would once again urge people to consider the seriousness of that outcome.
“An arrest under the Terrorism Act can have very real long-term implications – from travel, to employment, to finances. Also, as we have seen this week, it is very likely an arrest in these circumstances will lead to a charge.”
A UK Home Office spokesperson said it protects the right to protest, but that the activities of Palestine Action “do not reflect or represent” the thousands of others who exercise that right.
“The decision to proscribe was based on strong security advice and the unanimous recommendation by the expert cross-government proscription review group. This followed serious attacks the group has committed, involving violence, significant injuries and extensive criminal damage,” they said.
At a separate march today that started at Russell Square, one person has been arrested so far.
The arrest was “for a placard showing support for Palestine Action”, police said.
With reporting by Diarmuid Pepper, Emma Hickey, and Press Association
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