Amnesty International on Thursday issued a warning to the Metropolitan Police ahead of a planned protest in London this Saturday (August 9), urging restraint and respect for international human rights law as hundreds are expected to rally in support of the banned activist group Palestine Action.

In a letter addressed to Met Police Chief Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, Amnesty UK's Chief Executive Sacha Deshmukh criticized threats to arrest peaceful protesters for merely carrying placards with statements such as "I Oppose Genocide. I Support Palestine Action." He called such arrests a violation of fundamental rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

"Arresting people on terrorism offences for peacefully holding a placard flies in the face of international human rights law," Deshmukh said. "At a time when people are quite rightly outraged by the genocide they see being perpetrated in Gaza, it is more crucial than ever that there is space to peacefully express that outrage."

Protest Crackdown

The protest, organized by Defend Our Juries, comes in response to the UK government's controversial proscription of Palestine Action as a terrorist group on July 5. Since then, over 200 people have reportedly been arrested across the UK for showing solidarity with the group. Defend Our Juries says it expects around 500 demonstrators this weekend to participate in a civil disobedience action outside Westminster, many of them holding signs that express support for Palestine Action.

Police have already warned that hundreds of arrests may take place, and the Ministry of Justice has reportedly instructed prison services to prepare for a potential influx of detainees, initiating what has been termed a "capacity gold demand."

Legal Rebellion

Amnesty's letter stresses that international law only permits restrictions on protest speech in cases where it incites violence, hatred, or property damage, conditions not met by the planned actions. It further states that the legality of the government's decision to proscribe Palestine Action is now under serious question. On July 30, the UK High Court granted a full hearing for a judicial review of the proscription, stating that the group's legal challenge raises "serious issues to be tried."

The UN has also weighed in. On July 25, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights condemned the UK's ban, and the UN Special Rapporteur on Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights has been granted permission to intervene in the upcoming judicial review.

Read more: Palestine Action wins bid to defy UK ban under anti-terrorism laws

Silencing Dissent

Despite the government's framing of Palestine Action as a threat, critics argue the group's campaigns, primarily targeting firms linked to Israeli arms manufacturing, fall within the bounds of legitimate political protest. Defend Our Juries and allied rights organizations see the proscription as part of a broader crackdown on dissent related to Gaza.

"Peaceful protesters must be free to express themselves this weekend without fear of reprisals," said Deshmukh, calling on police to fulfill their duty of facilitating protest, not suppressing it.