Counter terrorism police have pulled the plug on an online planning meeting for Palestine Action.

Supporters had logged on to a Zoom briefing on Thursday night to receive final instructions ahead of the mass demonstration, which is set to take place in Westminster today but were disappointed after counter terror police shut down the meeting.

Today, some 500 people are expected to deliberately defy terrorism laws by openly declaring their support for the banned group.

The group are understood to have created plans to overwhelm the Metropolitan Police Force with large numbers of activists and make the laws unenforceable.

Since the ban came into effect on July 5, over 200 people have been arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000 for showing support for the group.

Palestine Action are responsible for over 385 acts of criminal damage since its establishment in 2020.

Activists from the banned group are set to take the criminal justice system head-on in a plot to test whether the law could be enforced if thousands violate it when protesters take to the streets of London.

With chronic shortages of prison spaces and the courts dealing with a backlog of around 77,000 cases, the move could create an intensely difficult situation for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

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While protests are organised across the UK, the main event will take place in Westminster, with the crowd being urged to violate the terror legislation.

The shutdown plot was being hatched by a variety of organised groups, including Defend Our Juries and Cage International.

The Metropolitan Police have warned activists who are considering joining the protest that they should expect to be arrested and charged with terrorism offences.

The force is expected to have a large number of officers on duty at the weekend to deal with the event, which is one of many planned protests.

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Officers from other forces have been called in to assist with the operation.

A spokesman for Counter Terrorism Policing said: "The Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit (CTIRU) is a national Counter Terrorism Policing unit based within the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, which is dedicated to the assessment of potential online terrorist and extremist material, including such material found online by the public.

"It works with service providers to seek the removal or restriction of such material. If material breaches UK terrorism law, police may also carry out an investigation.

"The CTIRU works closely with a range of technology, social media and online service providers, but we do not comment on specific content or any communication we may have with specific platforms or providers."

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Dept Asst Commissioner Ade Adelekan, who will lead the policing operation, said: "What sets this protest apart from others is participants are coming out not just to express a view, but with the aim of being arrested in very large numbers to place a strain on the police and the wider criminal justice system.

"The Met is very experienced at dealing with large-scale protests, including where the protest activity crosses into criminality requiring arrests. While we will not go into the specific details of our plan, the public can be assured that we will have the resources and processes in place to respond to any eventuality.

"Anyone showing support for Palestine Action can expect to be arrested. I would once again urge people to consider the seriousness of that outcome. An arrest under the Terrorism Act can have very real long-term implications – from travel, to employment, to finances.

"Also, as we have seen this week, it is very likely an arrest in these circumstances will lead to a charge."

GETTY | Palestine Action are responsible for over 385 acts of criminal damage since their establishment in 2020

A Home Office spokesman said: "The Home Secretary has been clear that the proscription of Palestine Action is not about Palestine, nor does it affect the freedom to protest on Palestinian rights.

"It only applies to the specific and narrow organisation whose activities do not reflect or represent the thousands of people across the country who continue to exercise their fundamental rights to protest on different issues.

"Freedom to protest is a cornerstone of our democracy and we protect it fiercely.

"The decision to proscribe was based on strong security advice and the unanimous recommendation by the expert cross-Government Proscription Review Group.

"This followed serious attacks the group has committed, involving violence, significant injuries and extensive criminal damage.

"It also followed an assessment from the Joint Terrorism Assessment Centre that Palestine Action prepares for terrorism, as well as worrying information referencing plans and ideas for further attacks, the details of which cannot yet be publicly reported due to ongoing legal proceedings."