'Labour's poll tax moment': hundreds of arrests at Palestine Action protest

Through the cacophony of loudhailers and drums rose a now familiar sound, the squeak of a marker pen writing: "I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action.

- John Simpson reports

Scuffles and chants of "Shame on you" followed the Metropolitan police as they arrested hundreds of people for terrorism offences in Parliament Square in London yesterday.

Officers faced physical and verbal abuse in what the force called a "coordinated effort" to disrupt the arrests of those holding the signs, with additional arrests for assault among a fringe group.

Defend Our Juries, a campaign group that helped to organise the latest demonstration, had aimed for the arrests of at least 1,000 people. It claimed that more than that number had been present yesterday, calling the protest Labour's "poll tax moment".

By 7pm, just 150 arrests had been confirmed, but officers were making slow progress and many protesters signalled their intent to stay until they were arrested.

A Met source said the force believed it was possible that arrests would reach the 1,000 mark.

Many of those holding signs said that seeing the mass arrests of demonstrators at a similar protest last month had prompted them to take action themselves.