Yvette Cooper has defended the arrest of more than 500 people for holding signs supporting Palestine Action.

The home secretary said protesters over the weekend may have been objecting to the group being proscribed as a terror group because they "don't know the full nature of this organisation".

Ms Cooper said that could be due to reporting restrictions on court hearings "while serious prosecutions are underway".

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A total of 532 people were arrested on suspicion of supporting a proscribed organisation contrary to Section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

Around half of them (259) were aged 60 and above - including almost 100 people who were in their 70s.

The Met Police said it was the largest number of arrests it had made rela

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