LONDON: Police in London arrested dozens of protesters on a second successive Saturday for supporting Palestine Action, a week after the UK government banned the activist group under anti-terror laws.

“Officers have made 41 arrests for showing support for a proscribed organisation,” the Metropolitan Police said on X, noting another person had been arrested for common assault. “The area was cleared within the last hour,” it added in a mid-afternoon update.

Footage showed police moving in on a small group of protesters displaying signs supporting Palestine Action who had gathered at lunchtime at the steps of the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament Square.

Campaign group Defend Our Juries, which had announced it would hold rallies on Saturday in several UK cities “to defy” the ban, criticised the response.

Activists hold rallies in several UK cities ‘to defy’ ban on the proscribed group

“The Metropolitan Police were out in force again today, arresting more than 40 people in Parliament Square for holding signs opposed to genocide and supporting Palestine Action,” a spokesperson said. “Who do the police think they are serving in this?” the spokesperson added, calling the ban “Orwellian”.

It comes a week after the arrest of 29 people, including a priest and a number of health professionals, for offences under anti-terrorism laws. Police have warned since the Palestine Action ban kicked in on July 5 that expressing support for it was now a crime.

“It is a criminal offence to invite or express support for a proscribed organisation,” the Met said on X ahead of Saturday’s planned protests.

“As we saw last week, those who do breach the law will face action.” Palestine Action’s proscription cleared parliament in the first days of July, and a last-ditch High Court challenge failed to stop it becoming law.

The government announced plans for the ban under the Terrorism Act 2000 days after the group’s activists claimed to be behind a break-in at an air force base in southern England.

Two aircraft there were sprayed with red paint, causing an estimated 7 million ($9.55 million) in damage. Four people charged in relation to the incident remain in custody.

Palestine Action has condemned the proscription — which makes it a criminal offence to belong to or support the group, punishable by up to 14 years in prison — as an attack on free speech.

British lawmakers proscribed the group under anti-terrorism legislation earlier this month after some of its members broke into a Royal Air Force base and damaged planes in protest against Britain’s support for Israel.

Police also made arrests at a demonstration in support of Palestine Action in Manchester. Other protests took place in Cardiff and in Northern Ireland.

Before Saturday’s arrests in London, close to 50 protesters had gathered with placards saying “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action” near a statue of former South African President Nelson Mandela outside the British parliament.

The International Court of Justice in the Hague is hearing a case brought by South Africa accusing Israel of genocide against Palestinians in the conflict in Gaza.

The British government’s decision to classify Palestine Action as a terrorist group places it in the same category as Hamas, Al Qaeda and IS. Membership now carries a prison sentence of up to 14 years.

Opponents of the ban say using anti-terrorism laws is inappropriate against a group focused on civil disobedience.

Palestine Action generally targeted Israeli and Israel-linked businesses in Britain such as defence company Elbit Systems, often spraying red paint, blocking entrances or damaging equipment In an unsuccessful court appeal against the ban, a lawyer for Palestine Action said the government ban was the first time Britain had proscribed a group which undertook this type of direct action.

Published in Dawn, July 13th, 2025