London (AFP) – British police said Sunday they had arrested 325 people at a London protest in support of Palestine Action the previous day, ahead of a court appeal over the government’s contentious ban of the group. Demonstrators staged a “mass action” outside the US embassy ahead of the Supreme Court holding a two-day hearing from Wednesday on the UK government’s July 2025 decision to outlaw Palestine Action under anti-terror legislation.
The United States also designated Palestine Action as “terrorist” in August, as the administration of President Donald Trump intensifies its campaign against left-wing movements. The British designation puts the group on a blacklist that also includes entities like Palestinian militants Hamas and made membership of, or support for, Palestine Action a crime punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
It has resulted in more than 4,000 people, including many senior citizens and Holocaust survivors, being arrested for showing their support for the group, according to campaigners and police tallies. “In total, 325 people were arrested yesterday,” London’s Metropolitan Police said in an update Sunday. “The vast majority of arrests — 320 — were for expressing support for a proscribed organisation under the Terrorism Act.”
A smaller number of protesters also rallied outside the US consulate in the Scottish capital Edinburgh on Saturday, but no arrests were made there at the time. “Enquiries are ongoing to identify people seen wearing t-shirts and holding banners showing support for a proscribed organisation,” Police Scotland said in a statement shared with AFP on Sunday. “Evidence is being reviewed and further action will be taken as appropriate.”
© 2024 AFP
