London witnessed one of the largest mass arrests in decades on Saturday, as more than 890 people were detained for protesting the UK government’s ban on the activist group Palestine Action.
Authorities estimated that up to 1,400 demonstrators gathered in Parliament Square, holding placards declaring, “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action,” in defiance of the group’s designation as a terrorist organisation in July 2025.
Of those arrested, 857 were detained under terrorism laws for expressing support for the group, while 33 faced charges including assaults on police officers. Video footage from the protest shows officers using batons and physically restraining demonstrators amid a tense atmosphere.
Palestine Action, founded in 2020 by Huda Ammori and climate activist Richard Barnard, is a UK-based organisation that targets companies linked to Israel’s weapons industry.
Its actions have included occupying sites, spray-painting corporate offices, and disrupting operations of firms such as Elbit Systems, UAV Tactical Systems, and Leonardo. A high-profile June 2025 raid on RAF Brize Norton, in which activists vandalized military aircraft, prompted the government to impose the terror designation.
Then-Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described the group as “not a non-violent organisation” with a history of “unacceptable criminal damage,” citing national security concerns. The proscription places Palestine Action alongside groups such as Hamas, al Qaeda, and ISIS, making support for the organisation punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
Critics, including Amnesty UK and UN human rights chief Volker Turk, have condemned the move as “a disturbing legal overreach” that threatens free expression and the right to peaceful protest. Defend Our Juries, a group organising solidarity demonstrations, warned that the ban could set a dangerous precedent against a range of advocacy organisations.
Since the proscription, over 1,500 people have been arrested in solidarity protests nationwide, including hundreds of elderly demonstrators. Ahead of Saturday’s event, authorities raided homes of seven Defend Our Juries spokespeople, charging them with terrorism offences.
A judicial review scheduled for November could determine whether the ban disproportionately interferes with rights under the European Convention on Human Rights, raising crucial questions about the future of protest and civil liberties in the UK.
This controversy marks a turning point in the debate over how governments balance national security concerns with the protection of democratic freedoms and protest rights.
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