UK arrests supporters of banned group Palestine action

Tuesday 19 August 2025 - 09:55

By: Sahili Aya

UK arrests supporters of banned group Palestine action

Dozens of supporters of the pro-Palestinian group Palestine Action were arrested across the United Kingdom on Saturday during demonstrations backing the organization, which was banned earlier this month and designated a “terrorist group” by the government.

In London, police detained 55 people at Parliament Square in Westminster for displaying signs supporting the banned movement. “Holding up placards of support for Palestine Action, which is a proscribed group, constitutes an offense,” the Metropolitan Police stated on X.

Additional arrests took place elsewhere: eight in another London protest, eight in Truro in southwest England, and at least 35 in Edinburgh, Bristol, and Manchester, according to local authorities.

Some demonstrators carried handmade signs reading: “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action.” One man shouted, “Freedom of expression is dead in this country, shame on the Met police,” as he was taken away.

The government outlawed Palestine Action in early July, shortly after activists entered an air force base in England and splashed two military aircraft with red paint. Four individuals were charged and remain in custody.

The ban, confirmed by Parliament under the 2000 Terrorism Act, was upheld by the High Court despite an emergency appeal. However, UN experts criticized London’s decision, arguing that “minor property damage without endangering lives is not serious enough to be classified as terrorism.”