British police arrested 466 people in central London’s Parliament Square on August 9, 2025, as supporters of the recently banned pro-Palestinian group Palestine Action deliberately defied a new anti-terror law. The demonstrators, organized by Defend Our Juries, displayed placards reading “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action,” challenging the July 2025 ban that criminalizes public support for the group, punishable by up to 14 years in prison. The Metropolitan Police also reported eight additional arrests for offenses, including five assaults on officers, though no serious injuries occurred.
The UK government outlawed Palestine Action on July 5, 2025, after activists broke into RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on June 20, damaging two tanker planes with red paint and crowbars to protest Britain’s military support for Israel’s war against Hamas. The group, formed in 2020, has targeted Israeli defense contractors like Elbit Systems, causing an estimated £1 million ($1.33 million) in damages at sites in Bristol and Kent last year. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper cited “serious attacks” and “extensive criminal damage” as justification for the ban, alongside concerns about planned future attacks.
Protesters argue the law stifles free speech, with Defend Our Juries claiming it redefines “terrorism” to include economic disruption, threatening democratic freedoms. “Once ‘terrorism’ extends to those causing embarrassment to the powerful, freedom of expression is dead,” the group stated. Amnesty International and the UN have criticized the ban as overly broad, with Amnesty’s UK Chief Executive Sacha Deshmukh urging restraint in policing placard-holding protesters, citing breaches of international human rights law. A High Court challenge against the ban is scheduled for November 2025.
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The protest saw 600–700 participants, according to organizers, though police disputed claims that only a fraction were arrested, asserting that all displaying supportive placards were detained or processed. Demonstrators, including psychotherapist Craig Bell, 39, and wheelchair-user Richard Bull, 42, condemned the ban as “ridiculous,” arguing it equates non-violent activism with terrorism. Bianca Jagger attended, quoting UN human rights chief Volker Turk’s criticism of the law. Many chanted “shame on you” at police and applauded those arrested.
The arrests coincided with a busy weekend of demonstrations. A separate Palestine Solidarity march moved from Russell Square to No. 10 Downing Street, with one arrest for a Palestine Action placard. On August 10, groups are set to march for the release of 50 remaining Israeli hostages—20 believed alive—held since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack, which killed 1,200 and took 251 captives. Protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers are also expected, amid tensions over immigration.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan noted the strain on police resources due to simultaneous events. “This is a particularly busy few days in London, requiring a significant policing presence,” he said. The Home Office defended the ban, stating it targets only Palestine Action’s activities, not broader Palestinian rights protests, emphasizing that “freedom to protest is a cornerstone of democracy.” Critics, however, see the law as an overreach, escalating tensions as the Israel-Hamas war—claiming over 61,000 Palestinian lives, per Gaza’s Health Ministry—continues to drive UK unrest.
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