Gabriel Carlyle in handcuffs, following his arrest for holding a sign in Parliament Square on 5 July. Image: Pat Gaffney

Hastings man arrested for holding sign referencing ‘Palestine Action’

A St Leonards resident was one of 29 people arrested for holding a sign referencing Palestine Action on Saturday (5 July), following the banning of the group as a “terrorist” organisation by the government last week. Erica Smith reports.

Gabriel Carlyle from St Leonards was arrested on Saturday (5 July) in Parliament Square, close to the statue of Gandhi, for holding a sign that appeared to express support for the group. The sign also contained the words ‘I support nonviolence’ and ‘I oppose genocide’.

Others arrested included a priest, an emeritus professor and several health professionals [Guardian article].

Among other things, the government’s decision to ban the nonviolent direct group under the Terrorism Act 2000 now makes it illegal [NetPol website]:

• to express an opinion or belief that supports a proscribed organisation, where the person is ‘reckless’ as to whether the expression will encourage others to support the organisation (Section 12 Terrorism Act 2000);
• to wear clothing or carry articles in public which arouse reasonable suspicion that an individual is a member or supporter of Palestine Action (Section 13, Terrorism Act 2000);
• or to publish an image of an item or logo that may arouse reasonable suspicion that an individual is a member or supporter of Palestine Action (Section 13, Terrorism Act 2000).

Home secretary Yvette Cooper announced plans to ban Palestine Action in late June, shortly after activists from the group threw red paint on two military aircraft at RAF Brize Norton.

According to journalists at Declassified UK: ‘The Royal Air Force (RAF) has conducted at least 518 surveillance flights around Gaza since December 2023 … The flights, carried out by 14 Squadron’s Shadow R1 aircraft from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, have been shrouded in secrecy, raising concerns about whether British intelligence has played a role in Israeli military operations that have resulted in mass civilian casualties in Gaza.’ [Declassified UK]

Police surround people holding signs next to the statue of Gandhi in Parliament Square, prior to the arrests on 5 July 2025. Image: Pat Gaffney

Amnesty International condemns “genocide against Palestinians”

In a statement issued on 2 July Amnesty International ‘condemn[ed] the Government’s decision to ban Palestine Action under anti-terror laws, as an unprecedented legal overreach.’ [Amnesty statement].

The statement continued:  ‘The UK has a deeply flawed and overly broad definition of terrorism which human rights monitors including Amnesty International have been warning about for years. This latest disturbing move only serves to highlight that those warnings were justified.

‘Terrorism legislation hands the authorities massive powers to arrest and detain people, suppress speech and reporting, conduct surveillance and take other measures that would never be permitted in other circumstances. Using them against a direct-action protest group is an egregious abuse of what they were created for.

‘Whatever MPs may think about whether Palestine Action’s tactics are appropriate or not, existing criminal laws, accompanied by human rights protections, were more than capable of responding to them. Instead of taking draconian measures to shut down direct action protesters and criminalise anyone who expresses support for their actions, the Government should be taking immediate and unequivocal action to put a stop to Israel’s genocide and end any risk of UK complicity in it.’

The ban – which received overwhelming support from MPs, including the MP for Hastings & Rye, Helena Dollimore – has also been condemned by UN experts, cultural figures including Steve Coogan, Paul Weller and Tilda Swinton, and hundreds of lawyers [Guardian website].

Gabriel Carlyle said: ‘Last week Amnesty International condemned Israel’s “continued use of starvation to inflict genocide against Palestinians” [Amnesty website]. Yet instead of fulfilling its legal obligations under the Genocide Convention and ending all UK arms sales to Israel (whether direct or indirect), the UK government has instead chosen to misuse anti-terror powers to repress nonviolent protest and freedom of speech about these arms sales. I call on my MP, Helena Dollimore, to disavow her recent vote to ban Palestine Action, acknowledge that Israeli actions clearly fit the legal definiton of genocide [Amnesty website] and join other Labour MPs in signing Early Day Motion 1310 calling for the immediate suspension of UK arms sales to Israel.’

Helena Dollimore MP has been asked to comment, but as yet we have not had a response from her.

Gabriel Carlyle was arrested under section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000, which has a maximum prison sentence of six months and/or an unlimited fine. It is Section 12 that has 14 years as a maximum prison sentence.) But just because the arrest was made under section 13, it doesn’t mean that he won’t be charged under section 12 or some other offence (it also doesn’t necessarily mean that he will be charged at all). Carlyle is bailed to 1 October, which is when he has to go back to Charing Cross police station to hear if they’ve decided whether to charge him, and if so with what offence.

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