The Metropolitan Police said 365 demonstrators had been arrested at Parliament Square by 6pm local time (17:00 GMT) on Saturday \u201cfor supporting a proscribed organisation\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will take time, but we will arrest anyone expressing support for Palestine Action,\u201d the police force said in an earlier post on X.<\/p>\n
The arrests are the latest at a series of protests denouncing the government\u2019s ban on Palestine Action, a move critics say infringes on freedom of speech and the right to protest, as well as aims to stifle demonstrations against Israel\u2019s war on the Gaza Strip.<\/p>\n
Under the Terrorism Act 2000, membership in or support for the group<\/a> is now a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison.<\/p>\n Reporting from Parliament Square on Saturday, Al Jazeera\u2019s Sonia Gallego said the threat of arrest or punishment \u201chasn\u2019t deterred any supporters\u201d of Palestine Action from expressing their backing for the group.<\/p>\n \u201cSomething as simple as wearing a t-shirt saying, \u2018I support Palestine Action\u2019, or even having that written on a sheet of paper\u201d could lead to an arrest, Gallego said.<\/p>\n In advance of Saturday\u2019s protest, more than 200 people had been detained in a wave of demonstrations across the United Kingdom denouncing the ban since it came into force in July.<\/p>\n More than 350 academics from around the world signed onto an open letter this week applauding a \u201cgrowing campaign of collective defiance\u201d against the decision by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to proscribe Palestine Action.<\/p>\n The signatories \u201cdeplore the repressive consequences that this ban has already had, and are especially concerned about the likely impact of Cooper\u2019s ban on universities across the UK and beyond\u201d, the letter read.<\/p>\n Israeli historian and University of Exeter professor Ilan Pappe, Goldsmiths professor Eyal Weizman, and political thinkers Michael Hardt and Jaqueline Rose were among those who signed the letter.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, a separate march organised by the Palestine Coalition group was also held in London on Saturday.<\/p>\n The Metropolitan Police said one person had been arrested at that march from Russell Square to Whitehall for displaying a banner in support of Palestine Action.<\/p>\n Amnesty International UK has condemned the arrest of peaceful protesters solely for holding signs, saying such action constitutes \u201ca violation of the UK\u2019s international obligations to protect the rights of freedom of expression and peaceful assembly\u201d.<\/p>\n BREAKING: Quakers are now being arrested at Parliament Square for holding signs which say “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action”<\/p>\n There are still hundreds here who are collectively opposing genocide and the unjust ban of the direct action group. pic.twitter.com\/YcfrV8vZ4l<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Defend our Juries (@DefendourJuries) August 9, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Palestine Action has increasingly targeted Israel-linked companies in the UK, often spraying red paint, blocking entrances or damaging equipment.<\/p>\n The group accuses the UK\u2019s government of complicity in what it says are Israeli war crimes in Gaza, where Israel\u2019s bombardment and blockade have killed tens of thousands of Palestinians since October 2023.<\/p>\n The British government issued the ban after Palestine Action broke into a military airbase<\/a>\u00a0in June and damaged two Airbus Voyager aircraft, used for air-to-air refuelling.<\/p>\n![\"People](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2025-08-09T140726Z_1175138111_RC2Q3GAHSU1G_RTRMADP_3_ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-BRITAIN-PALESTINE-ACTION-PR.jpeg\")
Police officers detain protesters during a rally organised by Defend Our Juries, challenging the British government\u2019s proscription of \u2018Palestine Action\u2019 [Jaimi Joy\/Reuters]<\/p>\n\n