City of Westminster (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Police arrested 365 people linked to banned group Palestine Action, and five more for assaulting officers, during protests in Westminster, London.
Defend Our Juries held a demonstration in Parliament Square, City of Westminster, on Saturday, which drew hundreds of people.
Anyone expressing sympathy for Palestine Action will be arrested, according to the Metropolitan Police.
Scotland Yard reported on X that as of 6 p.m., 365 persons had been arrested for aiding a prohibited organization.
Five of the seven additional arrests were for assaults on officers, among other offenses. The force also said no one was gravely hurt.
According to the Met, the arrested demonstrators were transferred to prisoner processing facilities in the Westminster region, and those whose identities could be verified were granted bail with the stipulation that they would not be allowed to participate in any more demonstrations in support of Palestine Action.
Those whose information was rejected or could not be confirmed were sent to detention facilities located throughout London.
Giving to charity The large arrests made under UK terrorism law were deemed “deeply concerning” by Amnesty International.
At 1pm, the majority of the crowd, seated on the grass inside Parliament Square, remained silent while they wrote, on white placards, “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action.”
Before being escorted away by police, a number of protesters with signs that read, “Palestine Action terrorizes Britain while Hamas hides in hospitals, schools, and mosques,” momentarily moved through the crowd.
Singing pro-Palestinian slogans, other groups of demonstrators without signs gathered around the monuments of Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi in the square.
A Home Office spokesperson said:
“The Home Secretary has been clear that the proscription of Palestine Action is not about Palestine, nor does it affect the freedom to protest on Palestinian rights.
It only applies to the specific and narrow organisation whose activities do not reflect or represent the thousands of people across the country who continue to exercise their fundamental rights to protest on different issues.
Freedom to protest is a cornerstone of our democracy and we protect it fiercely. The decision to proscribe was based on strong security advice and the unanimous recommendation by the expert cross-government proscription review group.
This followed serious attacks the group has committed, involving violence, significant injuries and extensive criminal damage.”
Sacha Deshmukh, chief executive of Amnesty International UK, said:
“The protesters in Parliament Square were not inciting violence and it is entirely disproportionate to the point of absurdity to be treating them as terrorists.
We have long criticised UK terrorism law for being excessively broad and vaguely worded and a threat to freedom of expression. These arrests demonstrate that our concerns were justified.”
What is the legal basis for arresting supporters of Palestine Action?
The legal basis for arresting supporters of Palestine Action in the UK is the group’s proscription under the Terrorism Act 2000, which came into effect on July 5, 2025.
Under this legislation, it is a criminal offense to be a member of Palestine Action, invite or express support for the group, wear clothing or carry items that arouse reasonable suspicion of membership or support, or organize meetings in its favor. Violations carry severe penalties, including prison sentences of up to 14 years.
The ban was imposed following Palestine Action’s activities, including damaging military aircraft at an RAF base, which the UK government classified as serious criminal conduct under terrorism laws.