A Church of England priest from Totnes was among nearly 900 people arrested in London on Saturday 6 September under the Terrorism Act for holding placards in support of Palestine Action.

Father Jim Barlow, Rector of St Mary’s and St John’s, was detained after joining a sit-down demonstration in Parliament Square, organised by campaign group Defend Our Juries. Approximately 1,500 people attended, an increase on last month’s protest which saw 500 arrests.

Father Jim described the mass detentions as “a ridiculous kneejerk use of terrorism legislation”, but said he had gone expecting arrest.

“The aim is to expose the ridiculousness of this prescription, to show how unworkable it is in practice, and also because people are just completely fed up with the lack of action,” he explained. “So many people say to me how sickened they are by what's going on in the Middle East, and how powerless they feel. That's why I had to do it.”

He was released on bail after several hours but risks suspension if charged under terrorism law. “I did it as an individual priest and I take full responsibility for whatever consequences come from it,” he said.

What moved Father Jim most was the sight of “Jews, Christians and Muslims all together, protesting against what's going on in Gaza and the West Bank. Prepared to risk arrest through that presence.” He argued that interfaith solidarity must be a pathway to peace, adding: “there must be a way that there can be peace and justice for all the peoples of the Holy Land.

“What the current Israeli government is doing has got nothing to do with Judaism. Benjamin Netanyahu's party is a right-wing nationalist party, not a religious one.”

MP Caroline Voaden also criticised the government’s proscription of Palestine Action, calling the arrests “wholly disproportionate”. She said: “These people are plainly not terrorists and shouldn’t be labelled as such. It cannot be right that simply displaying a placard in support of a proscribed organisation, while peacefully protesting, could result in a conviction and up to six months in prison.”

Other protesters echoed similar concerns. Totnes resident Sima Cutting, who attended with her father, said: “I'm so angry that the government is doing all it can to stop protest against Genocide, but precious little to actually stop the Genocide. As a Jew, I hate that Judaism has been weaponised in justification for this horror.”

In a letter setting the stance on genocide in Gaza, the UK Government states it has ‘not concluded that Israel is acting with that intent.’ This submission came ahead of the Israeli president’s visit to 10 Downing Street.

Retired doctor Karen Gilmore described the government as “complicit”, saying: “They welcome the Israeli president and Israeli arms manufacturers, while they brand Palestine Action as ‘terrorists’ for damaging the weaponry used to carry out the Genocide.”

Nick Bilbrough, founder of Totnes-based charity Hands Up Project, recalled a calm exchange with his arresting officer. When he asked who the “victims” of protesters’ alleged crimes were, the officer had no answer.

There were 17 further arrests, approximately 1% of protesters, for other offences - including assaulting police. The Metropolitan Police said violence broke out, though Totnes resident Jo Raeburn, present but not protesting, disputed this. She said she witnessed “a lot of police brutality, not the other way around,” alleging officers switched off body cameras, pushed protesters and used kettling.