Police begin arrests at UK protest against Palestine Action ban

Hundreds of people gather in Trafalgar Square for demonstration, as elderly woman with cane is escorted away by police.London, United Kingdom – Police have begun arresting individuals during a mass vigil in central London to oppose the ban on campaign group Palestine Action.Hundreds of people gathered in Trafalgar Square for the demonstration on Saturday, with many holding signs saying, “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.”Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Palestine Action supporters arrested as London’s Met Police reverse policylist 2 of 3Palestine aIly Ireland under fire for allowing weapons transfers to Israellist 3 of 3UK pro-Palestine activist arrested weeks after being released on bailend of listSeveral people were carried by police away from the demonstration. At one point, an elderly woman with walking sticks was escorted away by police.One demonstrator told Al Jazeera he was taking part because he “believed in the democracy”.“I think Britain has now descended into a non-democratic situation and I think that is very dangerous [for] free speech,” he added.Defend Our Juries (DOJ), a United Kingdom-based activist group that organised the protest, demanded that the government lift the ban on Palestine Action, and drop all charges and investigations into those who have been arrested under the Terrorism Act, for allegedly supporting the campaigners.The group said it’s also protesting against the Metropolitan Police’s U-turn on its policy to arrest people who show support for Palestine Action.Palestine Action is a direct action group which says it wants to end British complicity in Israel’s mistreatment of Palestinians.It has claimed responsibility for actions including a break-in at an RAF base, where aeroplanes were painted, and an attack on a London business it said was linked to weapons manufacturers for Israel.The UK government proscribed Palestine Action as a “terrorist organisation” in July 2025, placing it in the same category as armed groups including al-Qaeda and Hezbollah.