Veteran activist Peter Tatchell was detained during a pro-Palestine march in London, prompting criticism from his foundation over restrictions on peaceful protest…reports Asian Lite News
Veteran human rights activist Peter Tatchell was arrested during a pro-Palestine march in central London on Saturday after displaying a placard carrying the phrase “Globalise the intifada,” prompting strong criticism from his foundation and renewed debate over free speech and the policing of protests.
The 74-year-old campaigner was attending a Palestine solidarity demonstration when police detained him for holding a sign that read: “Globalise the intifada: Non-violent resistance. End Israel’s occupation of Gaza & West Bank.” He was later taken to Sutton police station in south London for questioning.
In a statement, the Peter Tatchell Foundation described the arrest as an “attack on free speech” and accused the police of overreach. The foundation said officers claimed the word “intifada” was unlawful, a position it strongly rejected. “The word intifada is not a crime in law. The police are engaged in overreach by making it an arrestable offence,” the statement said, warning that the incident reflected a “dangerous trend to increasingly restrict and criminalise peaceful protests.”
Tatchell argued that the Arabic term “intifada” has been misrepresented. He said it means “uprising, rebellion or resistance” against Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, and does not inherently imply violence or hatred toward Jewish people. “It is against the Israeli regime and its war crimes, not against Jewish people,” he said, stressing that his placard explicitly referred to non-violent resistance.
Elaborating on his position, Tatchell said he was advocating methods such as boycott, divestment and sanctions, drawing parallels with the global campaign that helped dismantle apartheid in South Africa. According to him, the slogan was intended to call for an international, peaceful movement in support of Palestinian rights, not to incite hostility or violence.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed the arrest, stating on X that officers policing the Palestine Coalition protest had detained a 74-year-old man on suspicion of a public order offence after he was seen carrying a sign containing the words “globalise the intifada.” The force said a total of 13 arrests were made during the protest, with one additional arrest linked to a Stop the Hate counter-demonstration.
The arrest follows a policy announcement made by the Metropolitan Police in December last year, when it said protesters chanting or displaying the phrase “globalise the intifada” could face arrest. The force cited a “changing context” for the decision, referencing heightened sensitivities following the Bondi Beach attack in Australia.
Eyewitnesses questioned the manner of Tatchell’s detention. Jacky Summerfield, who was marching with him, said Tatchell had been walking near police officers for nearly a mile without incident. She claimed he was stopped only after the march encountered a counter-protest and was then “manhandled by around 10 officers.” She added that she was pushed behind a police cordon and prevented from speaking to him.
Tatchell said the arrest was not an isolated case, claiming several people had been charged in recent weeks for expressing support for an intifada in the context of opposing Israel’s actions in Gaza. He also highlighted his long record of opposing antisemitism, noting that he had marched alongside Jewish leaders and thousands of Jewish participants at a rally against antisemitism shortly after the October 7 attacks.
The incident has intensified scrutiny of how protest slogans are interpreted and policed, and whether public order laws are being applied in a way that unduly restricts political expression in the UK.
