Thousands of pro-Palestinian supporters are planning to flout terror laws in a co-ordinated attempt to overwhelm the police, The Telegraph can reveal.
Campaigners have hatched a plot for Left-wing activists and members of the Muslim community to attend a demonstration on Saturday declaring support for Palestine Action, the recently banned terror group.
To do so would be an offence under the Terrorism Act 2000, punishable by up to 14 years in prison. More than 200 people have been arrested for expressing support for the group since July 5.
Last week, one of the co-founders of Palestine Action won the right to challenge the legality of the ban. Now, campaigners plan to confront the criminal justice system en masse to test whether the law can be enforced if thousands of protesters descend on London.
The move would ramp-up pressure on Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, who is simultaneously battling a 25-year High Court backlog and a chronic shortage of prison spaces.
Protests are planned for towns and cities across the UK, but the main event will take place in Westminster where thousands are being urged to attend and deliberately flout the terror legislation.
The Telegraph can now expose the plan, co-ordinated by a number of groups including Cage International and Defend Our Juries, after attending a pro-Palestine event last week.
At the meeting, hosted by Cage International in Birmingham, Moazzam Begg, the former Guantanamo Bay detainee, called on the Muslim community to join in the act of defiance and declare their support for Palestine Action.
He told supporters: “I would urge everybody to join the action of the 9th of August. That is the first step to take for the resistance.
“Those from the Muslim community, we have a massive presence in this city, and we must engage our leaders, our Imams, our habibs, those in positions of power, to join, there is strength in numbers, stop being a coward, cowards never win battles.”
The meeting was attended by about 30 to 40 supporters, some of whom wore Palestinian keffiyeh scarves and flags.
The evening was billed by Shezana Hafiz, a Cage International representative, as an opportunity to “discuss crucial matters that pertain to our movement – a movement to liberate Palestine, to crush Zionism and see an end to the genocide in Gaza”.
During the meeting, Angie Zelter, from Defend Our Juries, urged people to take part in the co-ordinated action, telling attendees: “Together we can and must face down the rising tide of fascism in Britain.”
She said people were starting to see “an arrest for terrorism as a badge of honour”.
In a briefing document, drafted by Defend Our Juries and seen by The Telegraph, those considering taking part are warned: “Joining this campaign comes with risk.”
But the document goes on to say: “It would be practically and politically difficult for the state to respond to an action on this scale.
“Even assuming it had the physical capacity to arrest so many people on the same day, the political fallout from such an operation would be incalculable, causing irreparable damage to the reputation of the Government and the police.
“Our assessment is that an action on this scale could be enough for the ban to be lifted.
“Charging and prosecuting at least 500 more people, in addition to the 200 people already arrested, is likely to be beyond the capacity of the state, given the current situation in the criminal justice system.”
Volunteers are told to bring their own blank placard and a thick marker pen, and when in place to write the words: “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.”
They are advised: “Although there’s a substantial risk of arrest, and all taking part should be prepared for that, no-one has yet been charged with an offence and no-one has been remanded to prison.”
Experts have warned that the action could create a significant headache for police forces if thousands of people deliberately break the law in a co-ordinated campaign.
Graham Wettone, a retired Metropolitan Police officer with many years experience working in public order policing, said: “There are a limited number of custody cell spaces available in London and as we saw a couple of years ago with Just Stop Oil, these can fill up quickly.
“The Met may seek to take some of those arrested outside of the capital but there is no doubt that if thousands of people turn up and take part it will test the system to the limit. Simply put, they will not be able to arrest and process everyone.”
The courts backlog is running at a 25-year high, with about 77,000 cases waiting to be heard and some trials being listed for 2027.
Last year, Labour’s early release scheme freed thousands of prisoners who were 40 per cent of the way through their sentence, rather than halfway.
Legal challenge against proscription
Palestine Action was outlawed by Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, on July 5 after a group of its members allegedly entered RAF Brize Norton and damaged two military aircraft.
Last week, the co-founder of the group won the right to bring a legal challenge against proscription, arguing that the ban breached the right to freedom of expression and protest.
A judicial review over the legality of the group is due to be heard in the autumn and could see the ban lifted.
Of the 200 or so people who have been arrested on suspicion of supporting Palestine Action since its proscription, none have yet been charged.
It is thought that prosecutors are waiting for the outcome of the legal challenge before they make a decision on whether to put people before the courts.
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