LONDON:&nbsp;The co-founder of activist group Palestine Action will on Wednesday challenge a UK government ban under anti-terror laws that has led to mass arrests, sparking free speech and civil liberties concerns. United Nations human rights chief Volker Turk has said the ban &ldquo;appears disproportionate and unnecessary,&rdquo; while Europe&rsquo;s human rights watchdog, the Council of Europe, criticised &ldquo;excessive limits&rdquo; on the right to protest. The UK government proscribed the pro-Palestinian group in July, days after activists protesting the war in Gaza broke into an air force base in southern England. Prosecutors have said they caused an estimated &pound;7 million ($9.3 million) of damage to two aircraft at the base. The legal action brought by the group&rsquo;s co-founder, Huda Ammori, at London&rsquo;s High Court is expected to last from Wednesday to Thursday, with a third day to be set at a later stage. The ban &mdash; which makes being a member of the group or inviting support for it a serious criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison &mdash; has resulted in at least 2,300 arrests, according to protest organizers Defend Our Juries. Those arrested include students, teachers, pensioners, and even an 83-year-old retired vicar, with many carried away from the protests by police. According to London&rsquo;s Met Police, so far 254 people have been charged with a lesser offence that carries a sentence of up to six months. The proscription under the Terrorism Act 2000 means the group has been added to a list that also includes al-Qaida and Hezbollah. The interior ministry, or Home Office, has accused Palestine Action of conducting an &ldquo;escalating campaign&rdquo; involving &ldquo;sustained criminal damage,&rdquo; including to Britain&rsquo;s national security infrastructure. It also accuses the group of &ldquo;intimidation, alleged violence, and serious injuries.&rdquo; &#39;Not non-violent&#39;At a court hearing on Thursday, prosecutors alleged a Palestine Action activist struck a police officer with a sledgehammer at an Israel-based defence firm&rsquo;s UK site after breaking into the factory in western Bristol in August. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, defending the ban in August, said some supporters of the group &ldquo;don&rsquo;t know the full nature of this organisation because of court restrictions on reporting while serious prosecutions are underway.&rdquo; &ldquo;But it&rsquo;s really important that no one is in any doubt that this is not a non-violent organisation,&rdquo; she said, adding the government had received &ldquo;clear security assessments and advice&rdquo; before opting for a ban. Set up in 2020, the group&rsquo;s stated goal on its now-blocked website is to end &ldquo;global participation in Israel&rsquo;s genocidal and apartheid regime.&rdquo; It has mainly targeted weapons factories, especially those belonging to the Israeli defence group Elbit. Since the ban came into force on July 5, protesters have held a string of rallies at which they have held up signs saying: &ldquo;I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action.&rdquo; Award-winning British film director Ken Loach has called the ban on Palestine Action &ldquo;absurd&rdquo; and accused the government of being complicit in Israel&rsquo;s &ldquo;incredible crimes&rdquo; in Gaza. &ldquo;This level of political repression is not what we expect in a democracy &mdash; it&rsquo;s the kind of tactic typically associated with authoritarian regimes around the world,&rdquo; a spokesperson for Defend Our Juries said. Areeba Hamid, co-executive director of Greenpeace UK, said the government had broken past pledges that the Terrorism Act would not be used to prosecute people taking direct action. &ldquo;Classifying a protest group as a &lsquo;terrorist organisation&rsquo; should send a chill down your spine,&rdquo; Hamid said. &ldquo;Progressive change is rarely made by any government without pressure from the public, and removing our right to protest is an erosion of democracy,&rdquo; she said.

A protester is escorted away by police officers for taking part in a demonstration in support of "Defend Our Juries" and their campaign against the ban on Palestine Action, outside Britain's Ministry of Justice in London on November 20, 2025. (Photo by Ch

United Kingdom

The co-founder of activist group Palestine Action will on Wednesday challenge a UK government ban under anti-terror laws that has led to mass arrests, sparking free speech and civil liberties concerns.

Palestine Action launches court bid to overturn UK government ban

OSLO: Several hundred people demonstrated and expressed support for the Palestinian cause in Oslo on Saturday as Israel faced Norway in a football World Cup qualifier, AFP journalists reported. Activists briefly unfurled a giant Palestinian flag and a large banner reading &quot;Let Children Live&quot; inside the Ullevaal Stadium, where only several dozen Israeli fans could be seen waving their country&#39;s flag and a banner reading &quot;Let the Ball Talk!&quot;. A pro-Palestinian activist was forcibly removed from the stands. Whistling could be heard during the Israeli national anthem and the Israeli players were booed before the game. Several hours before the match, hundreds of people attended a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Oslo, chanting &quot;Free Palestine&quot; to protest against Israel&#39;s &quot;genocide&quot;. Many demonstrators wore Palestinian keffiyeh shawls draped over their shoulders and waved Palestinian flags as they gathered in the city centre before marching to the stadium. Smoke flares were lit but the atmosphere remained calm. &quot;The message today is to say we give the red card to Israel, to apartheid, and to genocide,&quot; said Line Khateeb, the head of the Norwegian Committee for Palestine, one of the organisers of the protest. &quot;We do not accept football being used to whitewash war crimes, as we see today when Israel participates in the World Cup qualification games,&quot; she told AFP. Demonstrators carried banners reading &quot;Exclude Israel from International Football&quot;, &quot;From the River to the Sea&quot;, &quot;Red Card to Israel&quot; and &quot;It&#39;s a Genocide, Not a War&quot;. &quot;Israel has been committing genocide for the last two years and killing indiscriminately, doing the most horrible thing that could be imaginable,&quot; one of the demonstrators, Munib Sarwar, a 40-year-old engineer, told AFP. &quot;We need to show solidarity with the children and the people of Gaza who have been terrorised for the last two years,&quot; he added. &quot;It&#39;s not the end of the occupation. It doesn&#39;t mean the West Bank is free. It doesn&#39;t mean Palestine is free. We need to keep pushing and putting sanctions on Israel to hold them accountable in order to have a proper free Palestine,&quot; Khateeb said. Heavy security was in place for the match. Dozens of police officers on horseback and others in riot gear were posted near the stadium, an AFP journalist saw. The head of the Norwegian football association, Lise Klaveness, recently said she was pushing &quot;for Israel to be sanctioned&quot;. &quot;Personally, I think that if Russia is excluded, Israel should be as well,&quot; she said in a Norwegian podcast. Several days after Russia&#39;s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, UEFA and FIFA agreed to exclude Russian teams and clubs from all international competitions, a sanction that remains in place. The Norwegian Football Association has previously said it would donate the proceeds from the ticket sales for Saturday&#39;s match to Doctors Without Borders. With five victories in five matches, Norway top Group I of European qualifying with 15 points ahead of Italy and Israel, who both have nine points.

Football

Several hundred spectators protested Israel’s participation in a World Cup qualifier, demanding its exclusion from international football and condemning “genocide” in Gaza, while Norwegian authorities maintained tight security around the pro-Palestinian demonstration and stadium

Pro-Palestinian march, actions at Israel v Norway match

Reuters

MILAN: Authorities in the northern Italian city of Bologna have banned a pro-Palestinian demonstration planned for Tuesday, citing the risk of unrest, following days of protests and clashes with police across Italy, a local representative of the Interior Minister said. The Giovani Palestinesi (Palestinian Youth) Italia group had scheduled demonstrations in the cities of Bologna and Turin to mark the second anniversary of a Hamas militant attack in Israel that killed 1,200 people. &quot;The demonstration will be absolutely prohibited,&quot; Enrico Ricci, the local prefect in Bologna, told reporters, as local authorities fear possible clashes after violence flared in Rome at the weekend. Giovani Palestinesi confirmed on Instagram that they planned to try to press ahead with a gathering despite the ban. Israel&#39;s ambassador to Italy, Jonathan Peled, had protested against initiatives &quot;that seek to glorify the October 7 massacre and successfully worked with Italian authorities to cancel the event,&quot; Israel Foreign Ministry said on X. Hundreds of thousands of people marched through central Rome on Saturday for the fourth straight day of protests in Italy since Israel intercepted an international flotilla trying to deliver aid to Gaza, and detained its activists. The Jewish community in Milan has opted for a low-profile commemoration of the anniversary of the Hamas attack. &quot;We will be in a city square, protected by law enforcement. We will meet among ourselves, but for public order reasons, police have forbidden us from announcing the location,&quot; Davide Romano, director of the Jewish Brigade Museum, was quoted as saying by daily la Repubblica.

Healthcare workers take part in a pro-Palestinian vigil as part of the nationwide "Lights on Palestine" initiative, commemorating 1,677 Palestinian medical staff killed in Gaza over the past two years, in Rome, Italy October 2, 2025. (Reuters)

Europe

Italy banned a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Bologna over unrest fears after violent protests, with groups planning to proceed despite the ban amid rising tensions.

Italy bans pro-Palestinian October 7 demonstration in Bologna as tensions rise

LONDON: British police will get powers to restrict repeat protests held in the same place, the government said on Sunday, a day after the latest pro-Palestinian demonstration went ahead despite requests to cancel it in the wake of a deadly attack at a synagogue. The new powers will allow senior police officers to consider the cumulative impact of previous protests on a local community, the interior ministry said. &quot;The right to protest is a fundamental freedom in our country. However, this freedom must be balanced with the freedom of their neighbours to live their lives without fear,&quot; Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood said. &quot;Large, repeated protests can leave sections of our country, particularly religious communities, feeling unsafe, intimidated and scared to leave their homes,&quot; Mahmood said, noting the fears within the Jewish community. On Saturday, police arrested almost 500 people in central London during a protest in support of Palestine Action, a group that was banned in July after members broke into an air base and damaged military planes. Prime Minister Keir Starmer had urged organisers to call off the demonstration following the killing of two people at a synagogue in Manchester on Thursday on Yom Kippur, the holiest day for Jews. Police shot dead the assailant, a British man of Syrian descent who officials said may have been inspired by extremist Islamist ideology. The group behind Saturday&#39;s protest said the plans for more powers to limit demonstrations represented &quot;a dangerous, authoritarian escalation&quot; in a crackdown on free speech. &quot;We are announcing a major escalation ... and we urge all of our supporters to sign up to show we will not stand by as our fundamental rights are stripped away,&quot; a spokesperson for Defend Our Juries said. The Board of Deputies of British Jews welcomed the government&#39;s announcement but said more action was needed to protect the Jewish community. Mahmood is also due to review the police&#39;s existing powers to ensure they are sufficient and consistently applied, including powers to ban protests outright, the interior ministry said in a statement.

People celebrate outside the Woolwich Crown Court after its decision to throw out the prosecution of Kneecap member Liam O'Hanna charged with a terrorism offence in relation to the alleged display of a Hezbollah flag onstage in 2024, in London. (Reuters)

UK police will gain powers to limit repeated protests in the same area, aiming to protect communities, especially religious groups, amid tensions after a synagogue attack.

UK police to get new powers after latest pro-Palestinian protest

ROME: More than 2 million people across Italy rallied in over 100 cities Friday for a one-day general strike to support the residents of Gaza and a humanitarian aid mission, Italy&rsquo;s largest union said.&nbsp;Italian unions proclaimed the strike after the Global Sumud Flotilla that was trying to break Israel&rsquo;s naval blockade to deliver aid to Gaza was intercepted by Israeli naval forces on Wednesday night. Protests and demonstrations have sprung up all over Europe and globally since then, but they have been particularly strong in Italy.&nbsp;Italy&rsquo;s conservative Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had sharply criticized the strike. She anticipated it would cause widespread disruption across the country and said it was politically motivated and targeted her right-wing government.&nbsp;According to the CGIL union, 300,000 people marched through the streets of Rome alone, while the national average participation in the general strike stood at around 60%, halting all the main services in key sectors, including transportation and schools.&nbsp;<img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/b46b9a17-2f63-4d56-b07e-e8eb9f9eece4.jpg" style="width: 1000px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> In Florence, protesters approached the gates of the Italian national soccer team&rsquo;s training center to demand its upcoming World Cup qualifier against Israel not be played because of the war in Gaza.&nbsp;Italy is scheduled to host Israel in Udine on Oct. 14. But UEFA is considering suspending Israel over the war. The players were not at the Coverciano training center in Florence, but the squad will convene there on Monday.&nbsp;Protesters appeared to behave peacefully on the opposite side of the street from the soccer complex, holding aloft a banner that read in Italian, &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s stop Zionism with the resistance.&rdquo; <img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/6c054fec-d218-4378-8af2-a406394ed4ac.jpg" style="width: 1000px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> On Friday morning, around 100,000 people participated in a rally in the northern city of Milan. Clashes there briefly erupted after a group of protesters blocking the city&rsquo;s highway started throwing bottles at police, who responded with smoke bombs.&nbsp;Isolated scuffles also happened in Turin, Bologna and Naples, but the majority of the protests were peaceful.&nbsp;&ldquo;I still believe that all this brings no benefit to the Palestinian people. On the other hand, I understand that it will cause a lot of problems for the Italian people,&quot; Meloni told reporters Thursday, condemning the strike. &ldquo;Revolutions and long weekends don&rsquo;t go well together.&rdquo;&nbsp;The Italian leader has been facing mounting pressure to change Italy&rsquo;s stance as a longtime supporter of Israel in the Gaza conflict, as growing calls have emerged to stop the massive humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza.

Pro Palestine protests in Italy, Gaza protests in Italy, Global Sumud Flotilla

Italian unions proclaim the strike after the Global Sumud Flotilla that was trying to break Israel’s naval blockade to deliver aid to Gaza was intercepted by Israeli naval forces on Wednesday night.

2 million rally in Italy for Gaza as general strike halts key services

ATHENS: Several hundred people rallied outside the Greek Parliament on Saturday to denounce Israel&rsquo;s actions in Gaza and demand that the Greek government cut ties with Tel Aviv.&nbsp; Demonstrators waved Palestinian flags, chanted slogans, such as &ldquo;Freedom to Palestine&rdquo;, and held banners reading &ldquo;No to the genocide.&rdquo;&nbsp; One protester said Greece should end all military, trade and cultural cooperation with Israel, while a student spoke of solidarity with Palestinian peers whose schools have been bombed.

Middle East

Hundreds protest outside Greece’s Parliament, denouncing Israel’s actions in Gaza and urging Athens to cut military, trade, and cultural ties.

Pro-Palestinian Greek protesters call on government to cut off ties with Israel

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pro-Palestinian protests in Madrid, Spain, forced the cancellation of the Vuelta a Espa&ntilde;a cycling race&rsquo;s final stage on Sunday.&nbsp; Danish cyclist Jonas Vingegaard was declared overall winner after protesters blocked the race route and clashed with police. Protesters disrupt Madrid finishThousands of protesters opposing the participation of the Israeli cycling team gathered along the final race route in central Madrid. They overturned barriers while chanting slogans such as &ldquo;They will not pass.&rdquo;&nbsp; The local police responded with tear gas and baton charges as they tried to clear the route. Following multiple stoppages and rising unrest, race organisers confirmed the final stage was cancelled for security reasons, with no podium ceremony held. This marked the first time since 1978 that a Grand Tour cycling race was halted on its last day due to political protests. Earlier stages had also been affected by protests related to Israel&rsquo;s military siege of Gaza. Reactions&nbsp;Spanish Prime Minister Pedro S&aacute;nchez publicly praised the protesters, commending the Spanish people for mobilising &ldquo;for just causes like Palestine.&rdquo; His comments drew sharp criticism from Israel&rsquo;s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, who called the Spanish government &ldquo;a disgrace&rdquo; for &quot;inciting&quot; the protestors. Meanwhile, Madrid&rsquo;s mayor blamed S&aacute;nchez for the violence and unrest. A Spanish far-right party leader condemned the government for encouraging street violence. Security forces deployed over 1,000 officers&mdash;the largest presence since Madrid hosted the NATO summit three years prior. The Israeli cycling team had removed its name from jerseys during the race due to safety concerns. Several riders voiced the possibility of withdrawing amid safety fears.&nbsp; Israeli siege of GazaThe protests were sparked by outrage over Israel&rsquo;s ongoing military operations in Gaza, which local sources say have resulted in over 64,000 Palestinian deaths since October 2023.

: Pro-Palestinian protests in Madrid, Spain, forced the cancellation of the Vuelta a España cycling race’s final stage on Sunday. 

Protesters blocked the race route and clashed with the local police.

Articles tagged with "pro-Palestinian protests"

Palestine Action launches court bid to overturn UK government ban

Pro-Palestinian march, actions at Israel v Norway match

Italy bans pro-Palestinian October 7 demonstration in Bologna as tensions rise

UK police to get new powers after latest pro-Palestinian protest

2 million rally in Italy for Gaza as general strike halts key services

Pro-Palestinian Greek protesters call on government to cut off ties with Israel

Pro-Palestinian protests halt final stage of Spain’s cycling race

Palestine Action launches court bid to overturn UK government ban