Police officers remove a person after they took part in a protest in Parliament Square, London, to call for de-proscription of Palestine Action, July 12, 2025
MORE than 70 people were arrested on Saturday during protests demanding the reversal of a ban on Palestine Action.
Demonstrators held signs reading, “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action,” despite warnings from police that public displays of support could violate terrorism legislation.
Police made 42 arrests in London, 13 in Cardiff, 16 in Manchester and one in Leeds.
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Another protester in London,Kris Welch, a retired special educational needs co-ordinator, said: “My father was in the Polish resistance and wanted by the Nazis and Russians.
“I grew up with the knowledge that there are some lines that cannot be crossed, and people have to stand up, whatever the consequences to them personally.
“I cannot stand by when a genocide is taking place, I cannot stand by while those who want to stop the genocide are branded as terrorists, and I cannot stand by while my government is actively complicit in the Palestinian genocide.”
Vote Labour for Genocide.Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone obect to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities,mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.UK Labour Party government ministers Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves explain that they are partners complicit in Israel’s Gaza genocide. The UK has provided Israel with arms, military and air force support. They explain that they don’t do gas chambers but do do forced marches, starvation, destroy hospitals, mass-murders of journalists and healthcare workers.
Ammunition used against protestors, which led to the death of a young girl, Michelle Becker, from the large amount of tear gas that filled her home. Photo: Claridad Panamá
The demonstrations, which have lasted more than 70 days, have been firmly repressed by the Mulino government, which has affirmed that it will not repeal the social security law that has caused so much controversy.
On July 5, nearly 800 people from 17 countries signed a letter addressed to the president of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, calling for international observation due to the increasing repression of protests in Panama. The document, signed by academics, artists, activists, workers, and trade unionists, also points out that the Central American country is witnessing growing criminalization of political dissent, which, according to the document, is reminiscent of the darkest years in its national history. Furthermore, the letter adds that the government is demonstrating an “authoritarian drift”.
The letter states: “President Mulino leads a legally legitimate government, but with minimal support. And he has responded to a wave of legitimate and democratic protests most violently and systematically ever recorded in the country’s history since 1903.”
For more than 70 days, thousands of Panamanians have taken to the streets, closed roads, and staged strikes against the neoliberal policies of the Mulino government. The demonstrators are demanding the repeal of:
A law reforming Social Security – reducing pensions and opening the door for the privatization of the system.
Growing US interference – according to the demonstrators, the US intends to install several military bases in Panama.
The reopening of a copper mine – the largest and most controversial in the country, already closed by the Panamanian justice system.
In this regard, the letter states: “The step taken by the Executive to suspend constitutional guarantees in the province of Bocas del Toro makes it, de facto, an authoritarian government willing to suspend the Constitution when it is unable to negotiate, dialogue or listen to its people… The abuse of power of the State through the security forces and the arguments used to justify the violation of human rights, repression, and the prosecution of leaders are not acceptable in any way.”
Therefore, the letter denounces that the country is “going backwards in terms of human rights” and requests the immediate intervention of international human rights agencies to address the Panamanian situation and thus guarantee the fundamental freedoms of demonstrators and citizens alike.
For this and other cases, the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) and the Indigenous Peasant Movement of the Ngäbe Buglé region requested that the legislature establish a commission specialized in studying cases of human rights violations to monitor the protests. The CNDH presented more than 100 alleged cases of human rights violations, including alleged arbitrary detentions, humiliating treatment, deaths, etc. The legislature has not yet offered a response to the request.
Thus, the Panamanian political dispute has led to a massive confrontation between protesters and the forces of law and order, which is still not over.
However, as the days go by, more and more denunciations are surfacing in the media, increasing the discomfort for moderate Panamanians (former allies of Mulino), and raising concerns among international actors about partnering with a government that is widely seen as repressive.
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Protesters gather in Tel Aviv on June 28, 2025. [Mostafa Alkharouf – Anadolu Agency]
Tens of thousands of people rallied across Israel on Saturday, calling for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip, according to local media reports, Anadolu reported.
Demonstrations were held in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and other cities, according to the Haaretz newspaper.
Protests followed a 12‑day conflict between Israel and Iran, which erupted June 13 when Tel Aviv launched airstrikes on Iranian military, nuclear and civilian sites, killing at least 606 victims and injuring 5,332, according to the Iranian Health Ministry.
Tehran launched retaliatory missile and drone strikes, killing at least 29 people and wounding more than 3,400 in Israel, according to figures released by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
The conflict came to a halt under a US-sponsored ceasefire that took effect June 24.
On the heels of getting Tel Aviv and Tehran to sing a deal, US President Donald Trump said Friday that a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip will be reached soon.
“I think it’s close,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked how close his administration is to a deal on a Gaza ceasefire.
Israeli officials expressed surprise Saturday at those remarks, affirming there are no indications of any change in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s positions, according to the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.
Hamas has repeatedly affirmed its readiness to release Israeli hostages “all at once” in exchange for an end to Israel’s genocidal war, the withdrawal of the Israeli army from Gaza and the release of Palestinian prisoners.
But Netanyahu, who is wanted by international justice officials, insists on partial deals and evades signing a deal by imposing new conditions, including the disarmament of Palestinian factions.
According to the Israeli opposition, Netanyahu currently insists on reoccupying Gaza to serve his political interests, particularly maintaining his hold on power.
Israeli officials estimate that Trump seeks to leverage the momentum following the end of the Israel-Iran confrontation to achieve an additional political accomplishment.
In May, the US president’s special envoy Steve Witkoff presented a proposal to Hamas that included the release of half of the living Israeli hostages and half of those killed within seven days of the start of a potential agreement, in exchange for a 60-day ceasefire.
Tel Aviv estimates that there are 50 Israeli hostages in Gaza, including 20 alive. There are more than 10,400 Palestinians being held in Israeli prisons, suffering from torture, starvation and medical neglect, which has resulted in many deaths, according to Palestinian and Israeli human rights and media reports.
Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing more than 56,400 Palestinians, most of them women and children.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
Two months after Coachella, and as they prepare for a Glastonbury festival appearance that has been criticised by among others, the prime minister, Keir Starmer, and the leader of the Commons, Lucy Powell, the band say they are unfazed by the uproar. “Maybe visas get revoked, you’re not allowed in America again, it’s not ideal – but Jesus Christ, there’s people being bombed from the fucking skies, and people being starved to death,” says Chara, AKA Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh. “We’re in the process [of applying for new visas], hopefully it works. But if it doesn’t, I can go about my day without having to worry about my next meal or my family being bombed. Visa revoked, I can get over.”
Mo Chara (Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh) leaving Westminster magistrates court on 18 June. Photograph: Peter Nicholls/Getty Images
Do the band regret what’s depicted in either of the widely circulated videos? “It’s a joke. I’m a character. Shit is thrown on stage all the time. If I’m supposed to know every fucking thing that’s thrown on stage” – in this case a Hezbollah flag – “I’d be in Mensa, Jesus Christ,” says Ó hAnnaidh. “I don’t know every proscribed organisation – I’ve got enough shit to worry about up there. I’m thinking about my next lyric, my next joke, the next drop of a beat.”
And the “dead Tory” comments? “Why should I regret it? It was a joke – we’re playing characters, it’s satirical, it’s a fucking joke. And that’s not the point,” he says. “The point is, that wasn’t an issue until we said ‘Free Palestine’ at Coachella. That stuff happened 18 months ago, and nobody batted an eyelid. Everybody agreed it was a fucking joke, even people that may have been in the room that didn’t agree – it’s a laugh, we’re all having a bit of craic. The point is, and the context is, it all [resurfaced] because of Coachella. That’s what we should be questioning, not whether I regret things.”
UK Labour Party government ministers Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves explain that they are partners complicit in Israel’s Gaza genocide. The UK has provided Israel with arms, military and air force support. They explain that they don’t do gas chambers but do do forced marches, starvation, destroy hospitals, mass-murders of journalists and healthcare workers.Vote Labour for Genocide.
Thousands marched in The Hague on June 22 against the NATO Summit. Photo: PTB
Thousands of people took to the streets of The Hague on June 22 to protest against a looming increase in NATO contributions by European member states. A day before, activists gathered for a counter-NATO conference, while European leaders prepared to arrive in the Netherlands for the alliance’s meeting. Their aim, according to the European Left, one of the event’s co-organizers, was to envision “a peaceful and just Europe rooted in cooperation – not confrontation.”
“As world leaders prepare to meet behind closed doors on June 24-25, voices from across the globe came together in the streets to demand a different future,” the European Left stated. That future, they explained, requires slashing military budgets, ending perpetual wars, and prioritizing diplomacy over destruction.
Hundreds of international activists joined the protest, bringing their respective struggles to the streets of The Hague. Students from the Collettivo Autorganizzato Universitario (CAU) joined the mobilization just one day after mass protests in Rome had called for an end to war, militarization, and Italian complicity in the genocide in Palestine.
“After the United States bombed Iran overnight, the need to call for an exit from NATO has become even more urgent,” CAU said from the march. “We denounce NATO and US complicity in driving us toward a permanent war economy and a climate of conflict. For this reason, we must continue to organize and mobilize.”
The protests came only hours after US President Donald Trump bragged about airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites, drawing even more criticism of US influence over NATO and Europe. “They [the US] have joined the illegal attack on Iran, killing Iranians, illegally attacking nuclear sites,” MEP Marc Botenga of the Workers’ Party of Belgium (PTB-PVDA) told Peoples Dispatch. “If you bomb nuclear sites, you risk provoking a nuclear catastrophe, killing mass numbers of civilians.”
So far, European politicians and institutions have failed to condemn the US attacks on Iran, with some even voicing support, once again revealing their unwillingness to break from Trump’s agenda. In contrast, The Hague demonstrations called for a decisive change in direction and for Europe to take action to prevent further attacks. “The people from Palestine, the people from Iran, these innocent civilians that are being hurt today, they have our full solidarity,” Botenga said. “We will continue to mobilize here to stop EU complicity in these crimes.”
Police officers remove a person after they took part in a protest in Parliament Square, London, to call for de-proscription of Palestine Action, July 12, 2025
