INTERNAL documents suggest scores of protesters who were detained after the Palestine Action ban may have been arrested on false grounds.
A seven-page "tactics guidance" document from Counter Terrorism Policing outlines advice to police offers around cases of those suspected of showing support for the group, which was proscribed as a terror organisation earlier this year.
The document, dated August 28, was first reported by Declassified UK.
The guidance specifically states that acts such as holding placards stating "Genocide in Palestine, Time to Take Action" should not be grounds for arrest.
In the document, below an image showing one of these placards, the guidance states: "The above sign which has large wording of Palestine and Action is something which has been seen across the UK.
"It could be argued the prominent words of the sign are the words 'Palestine' and 'Action' this is because the text/font is far larger than the other words used on the sign.
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"However, it is a cleverly crafted sign. Equally it could be argued that the sign is one of political commentary.
"Factually the sign contains two statements, which separately refer to 'Palestine' the country and 'Action' the verb.
"For this reason the CPS [Crown Prosecution Service] have taken the view that this particular sign does NOT arouse reasonable suspicion that the displayer is a member or support of a proscribed organisation."
Other forms of protest, including displaying Palestine Action signs within private residences or wearing "Plasticine Action" T-shirts would also be allowed under the guidance.
Meanwhile, signs which read "I support Palestine, Action is needed now", "Oppose genocide, Support Palestine" and "If you're looking at Palestine and think there should be no Action, you're on the wrong side of genocide" were also deemed acceptable.
However, signs reading "I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action" were deemed as grounds for arrest.
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The guidance also specifically states that brandishing a Private Eye cartoon should not be grounds for arrest.
In July, a man was arrested for holding a cartoon the satirical magazine published mocking the ban on Palestine Action.
Palestine Action was banned as a terror organisation in July after the group claimed responsibility for an action in which two Voyager planes were damaged at RAF Brize Norton on June 20.
Membership of, or support for, the direct action group is a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
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Since the proscription came into effect, more than 2000 people across the UK have been arrested under terror laws after taking part in protests against the ban, including in Scotland.
Defend Our Juries, which organises the protests, told Declassified UK: “It seems that after months of outright popular defiance and ridicule of the ban by members of the general public, police officers were so confused that counter-terror police needed to clarify what constituted an offence and what did not”.
A Counter Terrorism Policing spokesperson said: “We await the outcome of the judicial review and will not be commenting further until proceedings have concluded.”
