Police in London arrested almost 500 demonstrators on Saturday during what organisers hoped would be the largest protest yet against the UK government’s ban on the group Palestine Action. The movement was declared a proscribed terrorist organisation in July, sparking nationwide outrage among pro-Palestinian activists.
The arrests began shortly after 1pm during a silent vigil held by supporters of Palestine Action in central London. Protesters, many of them retirees and students, sat quietly on the pavement holding signs and writing slogans supporting Palestine. Officers from the Metropolitan Police began detaining them one by one under the UK Terrorism Act.
By the end of the operation, the Metropolitan Police confirmed that 492 people had been arrested — 488 for supporting a proscribed organisation, and the rest for offences including disorderly conduct, assault, and outstanding warrants. The youngest detainee was 18 and the oldest 89, with nearly 300 still in custody by Saturday night.
Police Federation Says Officers Are “Exhausted”
Paula Dodds, chair of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said officers were “emotionally and physically exhausted” after months of policing near-daily protests. “Enough is enough,” she said. “Our concentration should be on keeping people safe amid heightened terrorist threats — not continually managing these relentless protests.”
Dodds also warned that many officers had their days off cancelled and were being reassigned from other units to handle demonstrations.
Protesters Defend the Vigil as Peaceful Civil Action
The organisers, Defend Our Juries, said they expected over 1,500 people to attend — hoping to surpass a record set by the 1961 anti-nuclear protest held at the same London site. Despite calls by Prime Minister Keir Starmer to cancel the event “out of respect for British Jews” following the Manchester synagogue attack, the vigil proceeded peacefully.
One Jewish protester, Zoe Cohen, defended the decision to continue. “Jewish people around the world are not responsible for Israel’s crimes,” she said. “Cancelling the vigil would have perpetuated a dangerous narrative that fuels antisemitism.”
Nationwide and Global Demonstrations Continue
In Manchester, hundreds gathered for a separate Friends of Palestine march marking two years since the start of the Gaza conflict. Campaigner John Nicholson said the protests would continue “until the genocide stops,” adding that the movement targeted governments — not individuals.
Meanwhile, solidarity marches in Rome, Barcelona, and Madrid drew hundreds of thousands demanding an end to Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza, reflecting a surge of global outrage over the two-year war.
