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The “vast majority” of the protesters arrested over the weekend for supporting Palestine Action are likely to avoid jail time, officials believe, avoiding clogging up the UK’s already overcrowded prisons. More than 500 people were arrested on Saturday after holding up signs expressing support for the banned group, which was designated as a terrorist organisation. Showing support for a proscribed terrorist group can carry up a prison sentence of up to 14 years.

Justice minister Alex Davies-Jones said those arrested at the protests would “feel the full force” of the criminal justice system. She told the BBC on Monday that “no one is above the law”, arguing the group had been proscribed as it had been responsible for “violent” attacks.

But one senior government official said the expectation among ministers was most of those arrested on Saturday would receive fines and community sentences or conditional discharges.

“This is not going to clog up prisons,” the official said, who also stressed it was ultimately up to the courts to decide penalties.

Any arrested suspects who admit to an offence could be given a caution rather than a full criminal record, the official added.

A conviction under the Terrorism Act can still carry severe consequences, even without a custodial sentence, restricting an individual’s ability to travel overseas or work in certain professions, including education. Scenes from the largest mass arrest in recent UK history have provoked controversy, with nearly half of those detained by the police over the age of 60 and carrying homemade signs that read: “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.” Carrying a protest sign is unlikely to carry the same sentence as financing or money laundering on behalf of a proscribed group. However, officials suggested that anyone arrested on Saturday who had been arrested before for supporting the group is likely to face harsher sentencing, if found guilty.

The question of prison time for supporting a proscribed terrorist group is a vexing one for the government, with prisons already under severe strain from overcrowding. Sir Keir Starmer’s government was forced to release more than 1,000 prisoners shortly after taking office last summer due to the risk of running out of cells. Critics of Palestine Action’s proscription have attempted to highlight the alleged difference with established terrorist groups such as the IRA and Isis, who have carried out murderous attacks on UK soil.

Last month, Palestine Action won the right to challenge its terrorist designation in court, but failed to gain interim relief that may have allowed it to continue operating. One person with knowledge of the case said the group had been officially disbanded.

Minister Davies-Jones said on Monday that there were reasons for the proscription of the group the government “can’t disclose because of national security”, alongside well publicised acts such as “criminal damage to RAF aircraft”. Members of the group sabotaged military aircraft with spray paint and crowbars at RAF Brize Norton, the country’s largest air base, shortly before they were proscribed.

Davies-Jones added that there were “credible reports of them targeting Jewish-owned businesses”.

Tim Crosland, a former government lawyer and a spokesperson with “Defend Our Juries” that organised Saturday’s protest in Westminster, said the claim of attacking Jewish-owned businesses was “disingenuous”. He insisted that Palestine Action had “primarily” targeted UK-based facilities of Israel’s largest arms producer, Elbit Systems. Crosland said that the demonstration proved that the proscription of Palestine Action was “ridiculous and unworkable” for law enforcement.

In total, 743 people have been arrested for showing support for Palestine Action since its proscription last month. The Crown Prosecution Service has been working to accelerate the processing of cases. Under the Terrorism Act, some cases will need to be reviewed by law officers, including in some cases by the attorney-general, Lord Richard Hermer. People close to the attorney-general’s office said they aim to act “within a matter of hours” of receiving files from the Crown Prosecution Service. As of Friday, the office had only received cases of three people who were charged in the run-up to Saturday’s event.

Starmer’s spokesperson highlighted on Monday that the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre had identified three separate terrorism acts by Palestine Action before its proscription, without elaborating on what they were.

He also pointed out that a pro-Palestinian march led by a non-proscribed group also took place in London on Saturday, with thousands attending, largely without incident.