London Met Police arrest more than 800 people protesting against the Palestinian Action ban.

@MarineBob why? Should that be the only way to get their representatives to represent them? Do you think that will be effective?

@MarineBob thanks for the heart, but I'm genuinely curious why you think breaking into a heavily guarded and constantly bombarded open air prison is a better way to make the UK government do their job than protesting in the UK streets.

@helenS so why are they not taking the protest to them

@helenS Exactly. They're not that brave - or to take their protests to Tehran who are the real puppetmasters

@ArtieKat it's not about bravery. It's about what's useful and possible.

@NerdyPotato You may call it what you like. I call it "virtue-signalling".

@ArtieKat as long as it makes a difference, it doesn't matter what anyone calls it.

@NerdyPotato It makes f-all difference - that's my point. The only places on the planet where protest could make any difference are in Israel/Gaza or Tehran.

@ArtieKat true, they are the only ones who can stop the bombing, but the rest of the world can put pressure on them.

@ArtieKat You're right, I think, but regardless of the fact that protests in Israel, Tehran, or Gaza probably are the only places where they could make a difference, there is no justification for arresting anyone for peaceful protest anywhere else. @NerdyPotato

@ArtieKat there are sanctions against Iran already, so there's no need to protest to get that done.

@NerdyPotato You think those are working?

@ArtieKat so far they don't make a whole lot of progress in their goal. 🤷

@wishforthenight
This is not about peaceful protest though. This is about a terrorist group whose aim is to undermine the defence of the UK by attacking military infrastructure. I'm not one for conspiracy theories but it was quite obvious to me from what Yvette Cooper didn't say that the intelligence services know far more about Palestine Action than the government were prepared to reveal.

There was a very interesting article in yesterday's Sunday Times about the unholy alliance between the far left in this country and the conservative Muslims. You only have to look at what happened to the non-muslims in Iran who helped the mad mullahs to power.

@ArtieKat ... is something which drives me crazy. The left used to be my family, in the past, and I feel like a disowned family member now. 😕

@ArtieKat the protest was peaceful though, until police started arresting people. You may not like the cause they were protesting for, but holding signs is peaceful.

@NerdyPotato You are missing the whole point about the proscription of PA. I am in favour of free speech - but not glorifying an organisation which evidently gets its funding from Iran - with the aim of conquering the "decadent" Western world and replacing it with a Caliphate

@ArtieKat if it really is a terrorist group, that makes sense indeed. I haven't seen them do anything beyond protesting the genocide Israeli government is committing, but hopefully the UK justice system has, unlike most governments just shutting down any criticism of Israel.

@NerdyPotato They broke into an RAF base and committed 6 or £7 million damage to our aircraft stock - defensive jets, nothing to do with Israel, as it happens

@ArtieKat prisons need occupants

@MasterLee No idea what you mean

@ArtieKat anyone doing that kind of damage needs structure and a 3x5 cell.

@ArtieKat Palestine Action is not a terrorist group.