British police arrested nearly 900 individuals during a protest supporting Palestine Action, an organization recently banned by British law, according to authorities on Sunday. These mass detentions marked the largest single-day roundup associated with its proscription.
Reuters/The Guardian/AP News.
Scale and Enforcement
Metropolitan Police reported 890 arrests over three days, 857 under the Terrorism Act for supporting Palestine Action while 33 others were made for assaulting officers or violating other public order offenses (The Guardian, AP News, The Times and The Sun).
Daily Sabah Claire Smart, the deputy assistant commissioner of police in Al Ain, reported significant aggression toward officers from some residents – including being spat upon, punched in the face, having objects thrown at them or having objects thrown against their vehicles – which she called intolerable and defended the police response as robust. (Daily Sabah. The Times).
Voices on Both Sides
Protest Organizers from the campaign group Defend Our Juries, who supported the protest, insisted it was peaceful. They highlighted those arrested – including vicars, priests, war veterans, descendants of Holocaust survivors, retired teachers and healthcare workers. Their group accused police of targeting demonstrators.
Al Jazeera conducted interviews with two members from this campaign group who maintained this point of view.
Backdrop of Protests
The protest took place in Parliament Square, with approximately 1,500 people gathering holding placards reading, “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.” That group had been banned under anti-terrorism law after their activists vandalized Royal Air Force equipment in July 2025, according to AL-Monitor and Wikipedia reports.
Civil libertarians and UN experts have expressed concern that the proscription of Palestine Action poses a threat to free speech by conflating protest with terrorism.
Wikipedia * The Guardian With Reaction.
Since the ban was implemented, nearly 1,600 individuals across the UK have been arrested for showing even token support for the group–such as silently holding placards or silently protesting outside public facilities. ABC News noted this trend.
Previous protests in August had already led to hundreds of arrests, including high-profile detainees such as Moazzam Begg (pictured here, former Guantanamo Bay detainee). For his part, Mohamed Arif Khan has since been released. For now.
Human rights groups such as Amnesty International have voiced concern that the government’s use of terror legislation to address nonviolent protest is excessive and legally dangerous.
Wikipedia
The Guardian
Police investigations remain active, with many detainees having been granted bail and additional legal reviews anticipated.
This demonstration illustrates rising public concern over government overreach and how anti-terror laws are enforced.
Soon, courts will consider whether Palestine Action’s proscription was legal and may redraw the legal boundaries for political dissent in the UK.