By Al Mayadeen English

Nearly half of the 532 people arrested during a major demonstration in Parliament Square against the UK’s ban on Palestine Action were aged 60 or over, according to Metropolitan Police figures.

Police data shows nearly half of the 532 arrests at the London Palestine Action protest were of people aged 60 or over, sparking debate over civil liberties and anti-terror laws.

Nearly half of the 532 people arrested during a major demonstration in Parliament Square against the UK’s ban on Palestine Action were aged 60 or over, according to Metropolitan Police figures released on Sunday. The protest, organised by Defend Our Juries, took place on Saturday and is the largest to date since Palestine Action was officially proscribed last month.

The arrests were overwhelmingly made under Section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000 for displaying placards or signs in support of Palestine Action. Of the 519 detainees with confirmed dates of birth, 49.9% were 60 years or older, including almost 100 in their 70s and 15 in their 80s. The oldest detainees were held for hours in hot weather, with some alleging they were denied timely access to water.

According to The Guardian, among those arrested were prominent public figures such as Sir Jonathon Porritt, 75, former government adviser, and Chris Romberg, 75, a former British Army officer and son of a Holocaust survivor. Both were arrested under Section 13 and bailed until October. Award-winning poet Alice Oswald, 58, was arrested under Section 12 of the Terrorism Act, accused of inviting support for a proscribed organisation.

The Metropolitan Police defended their approach, stating that medics and water were available, but also emphasising that those who knowingly broke the law bore “personal responsibility” for the consequences.

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Via https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/elderly-make-up-half-of-arrests-at-london-palestine-action-p