RUSHING a decision on whether to prosecute hundreds of protesters for expressing support for Palestine Action could risk a major miscarriage of justice, international groups warned today.

A total of 522 protesters were arrested for holding signs supporting the proscribed group in London on Saturday.

The mass arrest raised the total number of detentions for similar demonstrations to more than 700.

As these were made under the Terrorism Act, Attorney General Richard Hermer will decide on how the legal cases should proceed, rather than the Crown Prosecution Service.

Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, Human Rights Watch, Global Witness and the Quakers are urging him to delay his decision, however.

Writing to Mr Hermer, they have called on him to wait until a judicial review of the group’s proscription is concluded, to avoid having to unpick a potentially major miscarriage of justice.

The review, launched by Palestine Action co-founder Huda Amori, is due to take place in November.

Friends of the Earth executive director Asad Rehman said: “Peaceful protest is a cornerstone of any healthy democracy. 

“With the group’s designation still under legal challenge, the attorney general should hold off on any prosecution decisions. 

“Rushing ahead risks setting a precedent that could have lasting consequences for protest rights and could prove to be shocking miscarriages of justice for the individuals involved.”

The attorney general’s office was contacted for comment.

Separately, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (ECHR) wrote to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley today, voicing concerns about “reports of police engagement with individuals participating in forms of protest that are not linked to any proscribed organisation.”

The commission referenced a Guardian report about a woman said to have been threatened with arrest under the Terrorism Act for holding a Palestinian flag, as well as signs saying “Free Gaza” and “Israel is committing genocide.”

The woman was reportedly told by police that she had expressed views supportive of Palestine Action. 

EHRC chairwoman Baroness Falkner said: “Heavy-handed policing or blanket approaches risk creating a chilling effect, deterring citizens from exercising their fundamental rights to freedom of expression and assembly through fear of possible consequences.”