News

Thirteen arrested under terror laws at Cardiff protest released on bail

Published

11 months ago

July 13, 2025

THIRTEEN people arrested under terrorism legislation during a peaceful protest in Cardiff city centre have been released on police bail, South Wales Police confirmed Sunday night.

The demonstrators, who were detained on Saturday (July 12) outside BBC Cymru Wales at Central Square, were arrested on suspicion of committing offences under Section 12 of the Terrorism Act 2000, relating to support for a proscribed organisation — namely, Palestine Action, which was officially banned by the UK Government earlier this month.

The protest formed part of a coordinated nationwide day of action organised by the civil liberties campaign Defend Our Juries, with similar demonstrations held in London, Manchester, Derry, and Leeds. Many participants held signs reading: “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action” — echoing the slogan that led to 29 arrests in London a week earlier.

A police spokesperson said those arrested in Cardiff were held for an initial 24 hours, with a Superintendent’s extension of a further 12 hours granted. “The investigation is being led by Counter Terrorism Policing Wales with support from South Wales Police,” the statement read. “All 13 have now been released on police bail. Enquiries are ongoing.”

Peaceful protests, sweeping arrests

Saturday’s actions were explicitly organised to test the legal boundaries of the government’s recent move to criminalise support for Palestine Action, a group known for targeting UK-based arms companies with direct action protests over their links to Israeli military operations.

Organisers say they informed police and the Home Office in advance, challenging what they describe as a “dangerous and undemocratic proscription that equates protest with terrorism.”

Demonstrations were held at high-profile symbolic locations, including the Gandhi statue in Parliament Square, the Emmeline Pankhurst statue in Manchester, and outside BBC Wales in Cardiff. In Derry, a separately organised solidarity event took place at the Guildhall.

While the protests remained peaceful, police made at least 86 arrests across the UK on Saturday alone, bringing the total since Palestine Action’s ban came into force to nearly 120, with further arrests reported in Scotland, Bradford, and abroad, including at British embassies in The Hague and Copenhagen.

Charlotte Church and public figures speak out

The crackdown has triggered widespread alarm among campaigners, civil liberties groups, and public figures. Welsh singer and activist Charlotte Church is among hundreds who signed an open letter denouncing the proscription as “a major assault on our freedoms.”

“When people stand up to injustice, those in power often reach for the same old playbook: label dissent as dangerous, criminalise protest, and try to silence movements for change,” Church said. “From the suffragettes to the civil rights movement, what was once condemned as radical disruption is now celebrated as moral courage.”

The letter has also been signed by legal academics, human rights lawyers, elected officials from SNP, Plaid Cymru, and Labour, and campaigners such as Angie Zelter and Leanne Wood, the former leader of Plaid Cymru. Glasgow Trades Union Council, the Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers, and four UN special rapporteurs have all criticised the ban.

Controversial vote and legal challenge ahead

The Government’s order to proscribe Palestine Action passed the House of Commons on 2 July by 385 votes to 26. Critics have pointed out that the group was listed alongside two white supremacist organisations — the Maniacs Murder Cult and the Russian Imperial Movement — which they say pressured MPs into supporting the order without sufficient scrutiny.

The group’s proscription came shortly after activists targeted military aircraft at RAF Brize Norton, spraying red paint in the engines in protest against UK arms exports to Israel. Palestine Action’s activities are subject to ongoing legal proceedings, with a judicial review of the proscription order due in the High Court on 21 July.

Allegations of political interference

Defend Our Juries also raised concerns about alleged interference in the UK legal process. Documents obtained via Freedom of Information requests reportedly show contact between the UK government and the Israeli embassy, including pressure on the Crown Prosecution Service to retry activists whose cases had been dismissed.

A spokesperson for the campaign said: “Are these people holding up signs serious criminals committing terror crimes? Or are they ordinary, decent people, exercising their democratic rights and taking a stand against corruption, injustice, and genocide? Make up your own mind.”

What’s next?

Campaigners say they will not back down. More protests are expected in the coming days, and organisers have pledged to challenge the law in court and in public. Meanwhile, those released on bail remain under investigation, facing the possibility of prosecution under terrorism laws that carry a maximum sentence of 14 years for expressions of support.

The central question remains: Can peaceful protest still exist in a country that now brands cardboard signs as terrorism?

Climate

Blue sea creatures wash up on Welsh beaches including Tenby

Published

28 minutes ago

June 22, 2026

Tom Sinclair

VISITORS to Welsh beaches have been warned not to touch unusual blue sea creatures which have washed ashore along parts of the coastline.

Hundreds of velella velella, commonly known as by-the-wind sailors, have been reported on beaches in Anglesey, Gwynedd and Tenby.

The small, bright blue marine creatures are free-floating hydrozoans and are related to Portuguese man o’ war, sea anemones and corals.

They get their name from a small sail-like structure on their body, which catches the wind and carries them across the surface of the sea.

One was spotted on Tenby South Beach on Tuesday (Jun 16), where beachgoer Maxine Allinson described it as “fantastic” and “like a crystal”.

Marine experts say the creatures are often seen after changes in currents or stormy weather, which can push large numbers ashore at the same time.

Although they are much smaller and less dangerous than Portuguese man o’ war, they do have stinging cells.

Their sting is usually mild, but people are being advised not to pick them up, especially as contact with the face, lips or sensitive skin could cause pain or tingling.

Experts also warn that the stinging cells can remain active even after the creatures appear to be dead on the beach.

The advice is to admire them from a safe distance and leave them where they are.

Caption: Maxine Allinson spotted a velella velella on Tenby South beach Tuesday

Local Government

Mayor to hold drop-in session for Haverfordwest residents

Published

33 minutes ago

June 22, 2026

Tom Sinclair

HAVERFORDWEST residents will have the chance to raise ideas, concerns and local issues directly with the town’s mayor this week.

Cllr Randell Izaiah Thomas-Turner will hold a Talk to Your Mayor session on Thursday, from 12:00pm until 2:00pm.

The initiative is aimed at giving residents an opportunity to speak directly with the mayor about matters affecting the town and wider community.

Cllr Thomas-Turner said communication and engagement were “vital”, adding that the session was about listening to local people, working together, and ensuring every voice had the opportunity to be heard.

Anyone wishing to book an appointment is asked to contact the Haverfordwest Town Council town clerk.

The mayor said: “Together, we can continue building a stronger and more connected community. Together we can make Haverfordwest the best in the west.”

News

Senedd rejects Reform call to end Welsh Government international spending

Published

2 hours ago

June 22, 2026

Tom Sinclair

THE SENEDD has rejected a Reform UK motion calling for an end to all Welsh Government international spending, after a heated debate which saw several Members walk out of the chamber.

The motion, tabled by Reform MS Llŷr Powell, was defeated by 48 votes to 37 on Wednesday (Jun 17).

An amended motion, backing Wales’ reputation as an “internationalist, tolerant and outward-looking nation”, was then passed by the same margin.

The debate followed warnings from Hub Cymru Africa and other campaigners that ending international spending would damage Wales’ global reputation and undermine projects linking Welsh communities with partners overseas.

Reform argued that Welsh Government money should be focused on domestic pressures, including the NHS, schools, transport and the cost of living.

Welsh Conservative leader Darren Millar backed the Reform motion, saying foreign relations and international development were matters for the UK Government rather than Cardiff Bay.

But Plaid Cymru and Welsh Government speakers rejected that argument, saying Wales’ international work supported trade, public services, education, health partnerships and the country’s reputation abroad.

The debate became heated after comments by Reform MS Joe Martin, who criticised overseas schemes including beekeeping and tree-planting projects in Uganda.

Several MSs left the Siambr during his contribution, with the Llywydd later urging Members to reflect on the tone of the debate.

Hub Cymru Africa had said before the vote that Wales’ international solidarity budget represented a tiny fraction of overall spending and helped deliver work in public health, climate action, women’s empowerment and sustainable development.

The organisation said the vote was an opportunity for the Senedd to reaffirm Wales’ place in the world.