Police have arrested 474 people during a mass demonstration in Parliament Square, London, opposing the government’s ban on the activist group Palestine Action.
The protest, organised by Defend Our Juries, saw participants simultaneously display handwritten placards reading: “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.” The government proscribed the group in July under the Terrorism Act 2000, making membership or support a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
According to the Metropolitan Police, 466 people were arrested for showing support for the group, five for assaulting officers, two for public order offences, and one for a racially aggravated offence. No officers were seriously injured. The force said the arrests represented its largest single-day total in a decade.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper thanked officers, calling the group “not a non-violent organisation” and defending the ban as a matter of national security. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said those supporting Palestine Action “should feel the full force of the law.”
Amnesty International criticised the arrests as “deeply concerning,” arguing that protesters were entitled under international law to express opposition to events in Gaza and that the UK’s terrorism laws are overly broad.
Witnesses described how, at 1pm when Big Ben struck, hundreds of protesters unveiled their signs, prompting police to move through the seated crowd, arresting participants one by one. Some protesters left quietly, while others were carried away to chants of “shame on you.” Those who provided identification were bailed with conditions not to attend further protests for the group; others were taken into custody.
Participants ranged widely in age. Claudia Penna-Rojas, 27, said she was “more concerned with what is happening to people in Palestine” than with being arrested. Jacob Ecclestone, 86, called the ban “deeply authoritarian” and “extremely dangerous.”
The protest came just days after the first three people were charged in England and Wales for supporting Palestine Action. Earlier this summer, MPs voted to proscribe the group following incidents including a break-in at RAF Brize Norton, where activists sprayed aircraft with red paint, causing £7m in damage. The High Court has allowed a challenge to the ban to proceed, with the group arguing it breaches free speech rights.
The Metropolitan Police said claims by organisers that over 1,000 protesters took part were exaggerated. The force brought in officers from outside London to bolster its presence amid other planned pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli demonstrations over the weekend.
A Home Office spokesperson said the ban followed “serious attacks involving violence, significant injuries, and extensive criminal damage,” and was based on strong security advice. Photo by Julian Stallabrass from London, UK, Wikimedia commons.