London police announced, on Saturday, the arrest of more than 500 pro-Palestinian demonstrators during a rally they organized in solidarity with the Palestine Action movement (“Action for Palestine”), which the British authorities classify as a banned organization. Security forces surrounded the protesters and took a number of activists under the watchful eyes of other demonstrators who raised slogans and banners in support of the movement, making them vulnerable to arrest, while the demonstrators gathered in Trafalgar Square amid cheers and applause from others.
Published on: 04/12/2026 - 12:16 Last updated: 04/12/2026 - 13:29
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On Saturday, London police arrested more than 500 demonstrators in the city center, during a gathering demanding the lifting of the ban on the “Palestine Action” movement.
It is noteworthy that the organization was banned after it was classified as “terrorist” in July, making belonging to or supporting it a criminal offense punishable by imprisonment for up to 14 years. In mid-February, the High Court in London upheld a challenge to the ban, saying it contravened the right to freedom of expression.
The Metropolitan Police, London, had suspended arrests following the Supreme Court ruling before announcing in late March that it would resume them. The government has granted permission to appeal the judicial decision.
Freya (28 years old), the director of an environmental organization in London, who was among those sitting at the front of the crowd of demonstrators, explained, “It is very important to continue participating,” before adding, “It is important that we all continue to oppose genocide... The government may retreat from its legal position, but the morals of these people (here) do not change.”
The British Metropolitan Police said in a statement that "523 people were arrested today on charges of showing support for a banned organization."
Since Palestine Action was banned, nearly three thousand people have been arrested, most of them for carrying banners defending it. Hundreds of them face criminal charges. Protester Dennis McDermott (73 years old) said that he did not hesitate to participate despite being arrested a previous time.
Read also: Hundreds of people were arrested in Britain during a demonstration in support of the Palestine Action Group
The "Defend Our Juries" movement, which organizes the protest, reported that about 500 people participated in Saturday's demonstration, protesting "the UK government's complicity in the Israeli genocide in Gaza and the suppression under misleading pretexts of peaceful protest at home."
She added that the police "choose to make arrests even though the government's ban on the group is illegal under a Supreme Court decision, and despite prominent lawyers warning that any arrests would be illegal."
This ban, which included the Palestine Action organization on a blacklist, which also includes the Palestinian Hamas movement and the Lebanese Hezbollah, sparked angry reactions.
It is noteworthy that the judiciary suspended all trials of people accused of supporting the organization, and set a date for a comprehensive review of the cases on July 30.
For reference, the Palestine Action organization was founded in 2020, and its stated goal on its currently blocked website was to end “global participation in the Israeli system of genocide and apartheid.”
Its protests mainly targeted arms factories, especially those affiliated with the Israeli defense group Elbit Systems.
France 24/AFP
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