Hundreds of demonstrators were arrested in central London during a mass vigil protesting the ban on the campaign group Palestine Action. The arrests occurred as over a thousand people gathered in Trafalgar Square, expressing opposition to the government’s proscription of the group and the police’s renewed policy of making arrests for showing support.
More than 1,000 people convened in Trafalgar Square on Saturday, many holding signs that read, “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.” Police carried away numerous individuals, including an elderly woman using walking sticks. The Metropolitan Police reported 212 arrests initially, with later reports indicating over 500 arrests, primarily for allegedly showing support for a proscribed organization. The ages of those arrested ranged from 27 to 87.
Palestine Action, a direct action group aiming to end British complicity in Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, was officially proscribed by the UK government in July 2025. This designation, placing it alongside groups like al-Qaeda, makes membership or expressing support punishable by up to 14 years in prison. However, in February, the High Court deemed the ban “disproportionate” and a breach of freedom of expression, ruling it unlawful. Despite this ruling, the government appealed, and the Metropolitan Police announced in late March they would resume arrests for supporting the group, a decision criticized as a defiance of the court.
Defend Our Juries, the group that organized the protest, called for the government to lift the ban on Palestine Action and drop all charges against those arrested under the Terrorism Act. They also protested the Metropolitan Police’s policy reversal. One demonstrator expressed concern about Britain descending into a “non-democratic situation” and the danger to free speech. Qesser Zuhrah, a Palestine Action activist who participated in a hunger strike, stated that the police’s decision to resume arrests shows they “don’t serve us” but rather “reinforce what the government wants.”
Following the High Court’s ruling, all trials of individuals charged with supporting Palestine Action have been suspended pending a review scheduled for July 30. The UK government’s appeal against the High Court’s decision is slated to be heard by the Court of Appeal on April 28 and 29.