Advocacy
139 arrested in London after protest backing banned Palestine Action group
By Jewish Life Staff, . Jewish Life.
London's Metropolitan Police arrested 139 people outside the US Embassy on Saturday after hundreds of demonstrators gathered to show support for Palestine Action, a pro-Palestinian group that Britain banned in 2025 and designated a terrorist organization, The Jerusalem Post reported.
What happened outside the embassy
The Metropolitan Police said most of those detained were held for expressing support for a proscribed, meaning legally banned, organization, and that officers continued making arrests throughout the day. The Associated Press, cited by the Post, reported that many demonstrators were pensioners carrying signs reading, "I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action." One protester climbed a tree near the embassy and displayed a sign backing the group.
Before the demonstration, Met Police Commander Adam Slonecki warned in a statement, quoted by JNS, that "all those intending on coming to this event know that supporting a proscribed organisation is unlawful," adding that anyone playing an organizing or logistical role would also face arrest. The US Embassy separately advised American citizens in London to avoid the area.
Why Palestine Action was banned
The British government outlawed Palestine Action in June 2025 following a series of actions by its members against defense facilities. In June 2025, activists broke into a Royal Air Force base and sprayed red paint into the engines of two refueling aircraft, causing further damage with crowbars, the Post reported. Palestine Action said it targeted the planes because it believed they supported what it called Israel's "genocide" in Gaza. The UK government denied the aircraft were involved in Gaza operations, saying the Shadow R1 reconnaissance planes had been flown from Cyprus to help locate Israeli hostages held by Hamas, according to JNS.
In 2024, members had also broken into a British factory belonging to Israeli defense company Elbit Systems and vandalized equipment, the Post reported. The United States announced sanctions against Palestine Action in August and designated it a terrorist organization as well.
Under Britain's Terrorism Act 2000, membership in or support for a proscribed group carries a penalty of up to 14 years in prison. Displaying items supporting such a group can result in six months in prison and a fine of up to £5,000, roughly $6,700, JNS reported.
Who organized the protest and what they say
The demonstration was organized by Defend Our Juries, an activist group that campaigns against the ban and, according to its website as cited by JNS, seeks to encourage juries to acquit defendants who broke the law in activities "to advance climate or racial justice, or to stop genocide in Gaza."
Organizers said they chose the US Embassy as their target because President Donald Trump "pushed the U.K. government to proscribe Palestine Action in early 2025," JNS reported. Before Saturday's protest, the group said 3,919 people had been arrested since the ban took effect in July 2025, according to JNS. The Post cited organizers putting that cumulative figure at more than 4,000.
A second protest took place outside the US Consulate in Edinburgh, Scotland. No arrests were made there, but Police Scotland said it was reviewing evidence to identify participants who wore clothing or carried signs backing the banned group, and that further enforcement action was possible, the Post reported.
What comes next
Supporters of Palestine Action are appealing the terrorist designation to the UK's Supreme Court, Britain's highest court. A hearing in that case is scheduled for Wednesday, the Post reported. The Court of Appeal upheld the proscription in June 2026, according to JNS.
Sources
1. Over 130 arrested over Palestine Action terror designation protest outside US Embassy in London, jpost.com
2. Dozens of anti-Israel protesters arrested outside US embassy in London, jns.org