In 2023 the variety of UK residents aged 17 years or below being arrested for terrorism-related offenses reached a document excessive of 219 arrests, the UK Counter Terrorism Police introduced on Friday.
There have been 52 extra arrests in 2023 than in 2022, and a 31% improve from the earlier peak in 2019.
Knowledge on youth arrests for terror offenses has been collected since 2001, indicating that the variety of arrests was at the very least at the very least a 22-year excessive.
Appearing Senior Nationwide Coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing Richard Smith mentioned “We take no pleasure from the rising numbers of younger folks we’re seeing in our investigations and casework.
“While our position is to cease anybody – irrespective of their age – committing terrorism offenses or planning to trigger hurt to the general public, it’s actually surprising that nearly one in each 5 of our arrests entails an adolescent.
“For a number of years now, we have now warned concerning the threat of youngsters and younger people who find themselves turning into concerned in terrorism-related exercise and the statistics launched yesterday reaffirm our considerations.
“Younger folks vulnerable to radicalization want safety and assist to stop them being drawn into terrorism. I implore dad and mom and guardians to pay shut consideration to the younger folks of their lives and look out for the indicators that they could be viewing, sharing and even creating terrorist content material.”
Smith went on to say that, “Final 12 months we arrested extra folks for terrorism offenses than we have now completed in any of the 4 years beforehand.
“We’re working at tempo, day and night time, to maintain the general public protected.
“The position of the general public in our mission to the maintain folks protected can’t be underestimated. Please belief your instincts and report something that doesn’t really feel proper.
“Reporting received’t damage lives, nevertheless it might save them.”
Terrorism offenses at pro-Palestinian demonstrations
Hamas is a proscribed terror group below the UK’s Terrorism Act (2000.) The UK Residence Workplace revealed that supporting or becoming a member of a gaggle registered below the Terrorism Act may end up in “a most of 14 years in jail and/or a high-quality. The utmost penalty for a bit 13 offense is 6 months in jail and/or a high-quality not exceeding £5,000.”
London, and different cities throughout the UK, have seen weekly pro-Palestinian protests since October 7, when Hamas launched a mass terror assault and killed some 1200 folks.
The protests have resulted in a lot of arrests for offenses ranging from breaching the Terrorism Act, racially aggravated public order offenses and extra.
After weeks of resisting calls to impose restrictions on the weekly anti-Israel marches coursing by way of London, this week @MetPoliceUK lastly agreed that sufficient is sufficient, ordered the protesters to not move by way of Whitehall (though they have been nonetheless allowed to march… pic.twitter.com/aNrh2yTkBk
— Marketing campaign In opposition to Antisemitism (@antisemitism) February 3, 2024
Marketing campaign In opposition to Antisemitism, a UK-based antisemitism NGO, has repeatedly filmed particular person protesters on the demonstrations overtly supporting the proscribed terror group.
“You possibly can’t blame them for saying ‘curse the Jews.’”On Saturday, one other anti-Israel march will probably be allowed to happen in London, this time culminating on the Israeli Embassy.Here’s what among the demonstrators on the final march needed to say. pic.twitter.com/N14lfjRZXZ
— Marketing campaign In opposition to Antisemitism (@antisemitism) February 15, 2024
Britain’s Prime Minister additionally made an deal with earlier this month, the place he condemned the rise of Islamist teams “spreading the poison” of extremism.
“What began as protests on our streets has descended into intimidation, threats, and deliberate acts of violence. Jewish youngsters fearful to put on their college uniform lest it reveal their identification… now our democracy itself is a goal. Council conferences and native occasions have been stormed. MPs don’t really feel protected of their houses. Lengthy-standing Parliamentary conventions have been upended due to security considerations. And it’s past alarming that final night time the Rochdale by election returned a candidate [George Galloway]… who dismisses the horror of what occurred on October seventh, who glorifies Hezbollah… and is endorsed by Nick Griffin, the racist former chief of the BNP.
“I would like to talk to you all this night as a result of this case has gone on lengthy sufficient… and calls for a response not simply from authorities, however from all of us…
“I worry that our nice achievement… in constructing the world’s most profitable multi-ethnic, multi-faith democracy… is being intentionally undermined. There are forces right here at house making an attempt to tear us aside. Since October seventh there have been these making an attempt to reap the benefits of the very human angst that all of us really feel… concerning the horrible struggling that battle brings to the harmless, to girls and kids… to advance a divisive, hateful ideological agenda. On too many events not too long ago, our streets have been hijacked by small teams… who’re hostile to our values and haven’t any respect for our democratic traditions.
“Membership of our society is contingent on some easy issues… that you simply abide by the rule of regulation, and that change can solely come by way of the peaceable, democratic course of. Threats of violence and intimidation are alien to our method of doing issues: they have to be resist
ed always.”
