Met Police chief 'frustrated' at planned protest to support Palestine Action - as government moves to ban the group

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley says helium is "shocked and frustrated" astatine a planned protestation successful enactment of Palestine Action.

The demonstration, owed to instrumentality spot successful Westminster later, comes arsenic the authorities moves to prohibition the radical nether anti-terror laws.

Activists from Palestine Action deed the headlines past week after targeting RAF Brize Norton and damaging 2 subject craft successful a important information breach.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper volition update MPs on the determination to proscribe the organisation, which would marque it a transgression offence to beryllium to oregon enactment it.

Sir Mark said that - until this happens - the unit has "no powerfulness successful law" to forestall the protestation from taking place, but lawbreakers volition beryllium "dealt with robustly".

He added: "This is an organised extremist transgression group, whose proscription arsenic terrorists is being actively considered.

"Members are alleged to person caused millions of pounds of transgression damage, assaulted a constabulary serviceman with a sledgehammer and past week claimed work for breaking into an airbase and damaging aircraft.

"Multiple members of the radical are awaiting proceedings accused of superior offences."

He added that - while the close to protestation is essential - "actions successful enactment of specified a radical spell beyond what astir would spot arsenic a morganatic protest".

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Over the weekend, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said helium could not regularisation retired the anticipation of a overseas powerfulness being down Palestine Action.

Any determination to proscribe the radical indispensable beryllium debated and approved by MPs and peers.

Speaking to Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips connected Sky News, erstwhile justness caput Lord Charlie Falconer suggested that vandalising craft would not solely supply ineligible justification for specified a move.

Lord Falconer said: "I americium not alert of what Palestine Action has done beyond the coating of things connected the planes successful Brize Norton, they whitethorn person done different things I didn't know.

"But generally, that benignant of objection wouldn't warrant proscription truthful determination indispensable beryllium thing other that I don't cognize about."

Palestine Action has staged a bid of protests successful caller months - spraying the offices of Allianz Insurance successful London, and vandalising Donald Trump's play people successful Ayrshire.