Defence Secretary John Healey said supporters of the proscribed group Palestine Action must be arrested when they break the law to avoid a "two-tier policing and justice system," after almost 900 people were detained at a rally in central London.
The Metropolitan Police said 890 people were arrested during the protest in Parliament Square on Saturday. Of those, 857 were arrested for showing support for a proscribed organisation and 33 were arrested for assaulting police officers and other public order offences, Scotland Yard said.
Speaking on Sky News, Healey said there had to be consequences for those who link protests to the proscribed group and urged demonstrators to voice concerns about Gaza without supporting Palestine Action, which he described as a "banned terror organisation." He added that the new home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, who took charge of the Home Office on Friday as part of Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Cabinet reshuffle, would be "just as tough" on the issue as her predecessor, Yvette Cooper.
Scotland Yard's deputy assistant commissioner Claire Smart said the violence encountered during the policing operation was "co-ordinated and carried out by a group of people, many wearing masks to conceal their identity, intent on creating as much disorder as possible." Smart said many of those individuals had been arrested and that charges were being prepared.
The force said the disorder at the rally contrasted with other demonstrations held the same day, including a Palestine Coalition march attended by about 20,000 people. Organisers of the Parliament Square rally, including the campaign group Defend Our Juries, said the event was peaceful, with attendees sitting and holding signs, and called on Mahmood to drop what they described as an "unenforceable" ban.
Police have in recent weeks carried out mass arrests at protests after the government moved to proscribe Palestine Action. The group said it was behind damage to two Voyager aircraft at RAF Brize Norton in June. The proscription makes membership of, or support for, Palestine Action a criminal offence under the Terrorism Act 2000, carrying a maximum sentence of up to 14 years in prison.
Healey acknowledged public anguish over images from Gaza and said he applauded people who wanted to protest. "For people who want to voice their concern and protest, I applaud them, but that does not require them to link it to support for Palestine Action," he said. He warned that some protesters may not realise that members of the group have been accused of attacking police with sledgehammers, causing criminal damage and planning other acts of violence.
Civil liberties advocates and some members of the public have criticised the government's decision to proscribe Palestine Action as an infringement on free speech and the right to protest. Defend Our Juries and other campaigners argue that many demonstrators at recent rallies were peaceful and should not face prosecution for attendance alone.
Metropolitan Police said its duty was to enforce the law "without fear or favour" and that if those at demonstrations advertised an intention to commit criminal acts, officers had no option but to respond. Investigations into the incidents and possible charges stemming from the Saturday operation are ongoing, the force said.