More than 425 people have been arrested, including the elderly and disabled, at an ongoing demonstration against the government’s ban on the anti-Israel direct action group Palestine Action.
Around 1,000 people gathered in Parliament Square, some waving Palestinian flags and chanting “Free Palestine” at 1pm. Others held placards saying: “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action.”
At 1pm several hundred protesters, many of whom were clearly pensioners, picked up pieces of paper or placards and wrote messages in support of Palestine Action.
At the same time, hundreds more stood and watched on in solidarity, but did not hold signs which indicated they supported the banned group.
Approximately 15 minutes later, police began selecting protesters holding signs and arrested them, one-by-one.
Many protesters followed an instruction from organisers to go “floppy” so that it would be harder for the officers to carry them away.
Each arrest was met by the crowd shouting “shame on you” to the police, or slogans accusing the police of complicity in oppression and genocide.
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Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Claire Smart, who led the policing operation said: “Over the course of the afternoon, we deployed more than 2,500 officers to manage protests across the capital. The majority of protests, including the Palestine Coalition march attended by around 20,000 people, passed with very few arrests. This was not the case at the protest organised by Defend Our Juries in support of the proscribed terrorist organisation Palestine Action.
“In carrying out their duties today, our officers have been punched, kicked, spat on and had objects thrown at them by protesters. It is intolerable that those whose job it is to enforce the law and keep people safe – in this case arresting individuals committing offences under the Terrorism Act – should be subject to this level of abuse.
“Our role in the context of protest remains as it always has been – to police without fear or favour, to enforce the law, and to ensure those exercising their right to protest can do so safely. Where a group advertises that they intend to commit crimes, we have a duty to respond accordingly.
“The tactics deployed by supporters of Palestine Action in their attempt to overwhelm the justice system, as well as the level of violence seen in the crowd, required significant resource which took officers out of neighbourhoods to the detriment of the Londoners who rely on them.”
“The Met’s operational plans over the course of the afternoon have been effective, we have ample custody capacity and individuals continue to be processed in the prisoner processing points set up in the Westminster area.”
Defend Our Juries, who organised the protest, said the reality was that “the police are punching their way through the crowds to mass arrest peaceful protestors for holding cardboard signs.”
They added: “It is clear from this turnout that the public will not be intimidated. Six hours after the protest started and there are still several hundred defying the unjust ban on Palestine Action. It won’t stop until the ban is lifted.
“The mass defiance of the Palestine Action ban is UNSTOPPABLE. The state tried to stop us by arresting our key spokespeople, yet 1000+ are currently opposing the ban. If the ban isn’t lifted, the next action will take place in October.”
CAGE International joined 22 other Muslim organisations at the demonstration, forming part of a Muslim bloc at the Witness Circle. Black Lives Matter UK, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, and the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network – UK were also part of the Witness Circle, collectively representing 500,000 members and supporters.
CAGE International’s Head of Public Advocacy, Anas Mustapha, said: “As the name suggests, the ‘Lift the Ban Witness Bloc’ was witness to the policing of the demonstration, exposing the authoritarian use of counter-terrorism powers to silence dissent. Counter-terrorism powers have been used for over two decades to marginalise Muslim communities in the UK. Now, these very laws are being employed to criminalise solidarity and crush resistance against the live-streamed genocide in Gaza.
“The state wants to narrowly define what kind of protest and messaging is acceptable for the public. When forms of protest – such as direct action – highlight the UK government’s complicity in the genocide, it then becomes unacceptable. We’ve now reached a point where mass civil disobedience is necessary to unravel the growing authoritarianism.
“We salute the hundreds of brave members of the public who stood with conscience and courage today to oppose genocide, risking arrest to speak the truth. We were proud to join the Witness Bloc alongside dozens of organisations who came to show solidarity. What we witnessed was a deeply dignified and peaceful protest met with a disturbing show of brute force by counter-terrorism police. To continue its policy in support of genocide, the government has weaponised terror laws to crack down on peaceful protest – but it will not succeed. The spirit of resistance we saw today cannot be silenced!”
Palestine Action ban
Today’s protest follows a major demonstration last month which saw more than 500 people arrested for displaying placards in support of Palestine Action.
Palestine Action was banned in the UK under the Terrorism Act 2000, effective from July 5, 2025, primarily due to its involvement in actions deemed to meet the legal threshold for terrorism, specifically serious property damage.
The decision followed a series of high-profile incidents, notably the June 2025 break-in at RAF Brize Norton, where activists caused an estimated £7 million in damage by spraying paint into the engines of two Royal Air Force Airbus A330 MRTT refuelling planes.
The UK government, led by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, cited this and other incidents —such as attacks on arms companies like Elbit Systems and Thales UK — as evidence of the group’s orchestration of aggressive and intimidatory acts that crossed the terrorism threshold.
These actions included vandalism, occupations, and causing significant disruption, which the government argued endangered national security and public safety.
The ban was supported by a parliamentary vote on July 2, 2025, passing 385–26 in the House of Commons, proscribing Palestine Action.
Critics, including civil liberties groups like Amnesty International and UN experts, argue the ban is a disproportionate overreach, conflating protest with terrorism.
They highlight that Palestine Action’s actions, primarily property damage without intent to harm people, do not align with international standards for terrorism.
The group’s co-founder, Huda Ammori, and supporters claim the ban aims to protect the Israeli weapons industry and suppress legitimate protest against UK complicity in Israel’s actions in Gaza.
Despite legal challenges, including a failed attempt to suspend the ban, a High Court ruling in July 2025 allowed Palestine Action to challenge the proscription, with a judicial review scheduled for November 2025
