Peter Tatchell arrested for carrying ‘globalise the intifada’ placard at protest
Peter Tatchell was arrested by police (Peter Tatchell Foundation)
LGBTQ+ activist Peter Tatchell was arrested for holding a placard which displayed the phrase “globalise the intifada” at a Palestine solidarity march in London.
Tatchell, 74, was was arrested in Aldwych during a march run by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign on Saturday (31 January) for holding a sign which read: “Globalise the intifada: Non-violent resistance. End Israel’s occupation of Gaza & West Bank.”
This marks his 104th arrest or detention during the course of his nearly 60 decades of human rights activism.
READ MORE: Peter Tatchell ‘forcibly ejected’ by police from Birmingham Pride parade
“Intifada” is an Arabic word which translates to “uprising” or “shaking off” in English. It refers to Palestinian resistance against Israeli occupation, with the First Intifada (1987–1993) and the Second Intifada (2000–2005) being periods of uprising against Israel by Palestine.
The slogan has been controversial during the course of the Gaza war following the October 7 attacks in 2023 and the Bondi Beach shooting on 14 December, 2025 where an Islamic State (IS)-inspired terrorist attack was carried out against members of the Sydney Jewish community celebrating Hanukkah.
Proponents say to “globalise” the intifada means to make the wider world aware of the struggles of the Palestinian people, showcase solidarity and take against against Israeli occupation, whilst some Jewish groups have condemned the phrase as calling for violence against Israeli and wider members of the Jewish community.
Tatchell claimed the police were “suppressing free speech” by arresting him and called it the “latest example of officers restricting and criminalising peaceful protests”.
“The police allegation is nonsense. My placard was not threatening or abusive and did not mention anyone’s race,” Tatchell claimed.
“The police are fabricating the law. They claim the word intifada is unlawful. The word intifada is not a crime in UK law.”
He added: “Even if people disagree with the words on my placard, in a free and democratic society they should not be criminalised.”
In a statement released after his arrest, Tatchell claimed: “The Arab word intifada means uprising, rebellion or resistance against Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. It does not mean violence and is not antisemitic. It is against the Israeli regime and its war crimes, not against Jewish people.
“By ‘non-violent resistance’ I was advocating boycott, sanction and divestment – the same tactics that helped bring down the apartheid regime in South Africa.
“’Globalise the intifada’ means create a worldwide campaign like the anti-apartheid movement.”
He claimed the police are “totally wrong” to “conflate support for Palestinian resistance to oppression with hatred and attacks on Jews”.
Tatchell added he has a “long history” of defending Jewish people against antisemitism.
He is currently taking legal action against the Metropolitan Police over his arrest during a Palestinian solidarity march on 17 May, 2025, where he was arrested for a racially and religiously aggravated offence over a different placard.
“This placard did not mention anyone’s race or religion. The police have since admitted that I was wrongly arrested and I am awaiting a settlement,” he said.
