UK Police Arrest 41 at Pro-Palestinian Protest Linked to Banned Group
London’s Metropolitan Police arrested 41 people on Saturday during a protest outside the UK Parliament, accusing them of expressing support for the proscribed group, Palestine Action.
The arrests follow the UK government’s decision earlier this month to designate Palestine Action a terrorist organization under anti-terrorism laws. The move came after group members allegedly broke into a Royal Air Force base and vandalized aircraft in protest of Britain’s support for Israel.
“One person was arrested for common assault, and 41 others were detained for showing support for a proscribed organization,” the police said in a statement on social media.
A similar demonstration in London last week led to 29 arrests. On Saturday, related protests also took place in Manchester, Cardiff, and Northern Ireland, with further arrests reported in Manchester.
Before the arrests, around 50 demonstrators had gathered near the statue of Nelson Mandela outside Parliament, holding placards that read, “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.”
The protests come amid ongoing international scrutiny of the Israel-Gaza conflict. The International Court of Justice in The Hague is currently hearing a case filed by South Africa accusing Israel of genocide — a charge Israel firmly denies.
The UK’s ban on Palestine Action places it in the same legal category as groups like Hamas, al-Qaeda, and ISIS. Membership or public support for such groups now carries a penalty of up to 14 years in prison.
Critics of the decision argue that applying anti-terror laws to Palestine Action — a group known for civil disobedience tactics like spraying red paint and blocking entrances of Israeli-linked firms, such as defense company Elbit Systems — is a dangerous overreach.
In a failed legal challenge to the ban, Palestine Action’s legal team said this was the first time Britain had outlawed a group engaged in this type of direct action, warning of its potential impact on political dissent.
