Met police chief slammed for defending arrest of 83-year-old priest over Palestine Action placard

The head of London's Metropolitan Police force has been heavily criticised for defending the arrest of an 83-year-old retired priest who expressed support for the direct action group Palestine Action.

The Reverend Sue Parfitt, from Bristol, was detained for holding a placard on Saturday that read: “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.” She was among 29 people arrested on Saturday for acts of defiance against the proscription.

In an interview with the BBC on Sunday, Met commissioner Mark Rowley was asked whether the arrest of Parfitt was a good use of police time.

"The law doesn't have an age limit, whether you're 18 or 80," he replied. "If you're supporting proscribed organisations, then the law is going to be enforced. Officers, you could see, did it with great care and tried to preserve that person's dignity, but they're breaking a serious law."

Zack Polanski, the Green party deputy leader who is standing to lead the party, remarked on X that Rowley "says 'serious' so many times.

"The depravity of arresting people for helping placards when they're actively opposing a genocide which our government are active participants is what's serious here.

"Starmer has put him in this indefensible position."

Read more: Met police chief slammed for defending arrest of 83-year-old priest over Palestine Action placard