Baptist minister arrested over Palestine Action sign

Baptist minister James Grote was arrested in Oxford on Sunday by Thames Valley Police officers

A Baptist minister has been arrested after holding a placard in support of banned terror group Palestine Action.

James Grote had been holding a banner reading "I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action" in Oxford's Bonn Square on Sunday when he was arrested by Thames Valley Police officers.

Palestine Action was proscribed as a terror group last month, after members broke into RAF Brize Norton and caused an estimated £7m of damage to planes.

Ahead of the protest, Mr Grote said although he is not a member of Palestine Action, he "supports its work of disrupting anyone in the UK providing weapons for the war in Gaza".

"Palestine Action has broken into buildings and caused damage to property, not people; this is not terrorism," he said.

"The bombing of Gaza to dust is terrorism. So too was the 7 October massacre by Hamas."

Mr Grote had been sat holding a placard in support of Palestine Action

Thames Valley Police confirmed officers arrested a man in his sixties from Bicester on Sunday who was "reportedly holding a sign expressing support for a proscribed terrorist organisation".

The force said the man had been released on bail "while charging advice is sought".

"While people have the right to protest in a lawful manner, behaviour that may cross into criminality will be subject to investigation and potential prosecution," police added.

Supporting Palestine Action is now a criminal offence, with membership or expressing support for the group punishable by up to 14 years in prison in line with the Terrorism Act 2000.

The Metropolitan Police has confirmed a total of 67 people have been charged with supporting Palestine Action during protests in central London on 5 July and 12 July.

Following the protest, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the banning of Palestine Action had been based on "strong security advice following serious attacks the group has committed" as well as "plans and ideas for further attacks".

"Many people may not yet know the reality of this organisation, but the assessments are very clear - this is not a non-violent organisation," she added.

Israel's military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

At least 62,122 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.