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Man arrested in dawn raid after Palestine Action posts
The Independent
|August 22, 2025
Exclusive: Former director of Liberty Shami Chakrabarti warns it demonstrates the dangers of proscribing the group
A man who shared posts on his Facebook page backing Palestine Action has told how he was hauled from his bed in a dawn raid by police and arrested on suspicion of breaking terror laws.
Mat Cobb, 52, a part-time cleaner, is now facing potentially life-changing criminal charges after becoming the latest member of the public to fall foul of the controversial decision to ban the direct-action group.
He told The Independent the arrest at his home in Hinckley, Leicestershire, had “totally blown my mind” after he was handcuffed and taken to a police station on Wednesday morning.
Mr Cobb, who has 2,200 followers on his Facebook page, said he had never attended a demonstration or been a member of Palestine Action – now a proscribed terrorist organisation.
His arrest comes after more than 500 peaceful protesters were arrested at a demonstration in Parliament Square earlier this month for holding placards supporting the group.
This story is from the August 22, 2025 edition of The Independent.
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