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Nearly half of terrorism arrests in UK since 9/11 have come after Palestine Action ban, new data shows
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<span class="field field-title">Nearly half of terrorism arrests in UK since 9/11 are since Palestine Action ban, new data shows</span>
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<div class="field field-field-text"><p>New data has revealed that almost half of Britian's counterterrorism arrests since 9/11 coincided with the UK government's proscription of direct action group Palestine Action.</p>
<p>According to Home Office data, of the 6,539 arrests for terror-related activity in the UK since the 2001 attacks on the twin towers, 3,021 were in the past year.</p>
<p>The surge coincides with the proscription of Palestine Action in July last year - which led to thousands of arrests of people for holding signs during silent vigils in support of the group.</p>
<p>The ban is subject to a continuing legal challenge, which will be heard at the UK Supreme Court in November.</p>
<p>In the year ending 31 March, terrorism-related arrests soared by 1,434 percent with a 3,761% increase in arrests of women and girls and a 2,306% increase in arrests of those aged 30 and over.</p>
<p>Raj Chada, the head of criminal defence at the law firm Hodge Jones & Allen, said: "The most common terrorist in the UK at present is a pensioner at a silent vigil holding a placard."</p>
<p>According to the campaign group Defend Our Juries (DOJ), more than 3,600 people have been arrested so far for alleged support of Palestine Action.</p>
<p>"The proscription of Palestine Action is not about protecting the British public, but about protecting the UK's relationship with Israel and protecting the arms companies who, on UK soil, manufacture and supply weapons to a genocide," A DOJ spokesperson said.</p>
<p>"If the government was truly aiming to proscribe violent groups targeting civilians, the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] would be first on its list."</p>
<p>In a statement responding to the data, Ruth Ehrlich, the director of external relations at the civil rights group Liberty, said: “The staggering increase in arrests over the past year is the clearest indicator that the UK’s counter-terror laws are not fit for purpose." She added that when without public trust "counter-terror laws simply won’t work".</p>
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