The Metropolitan Police has confirmed more than 450 people were arrested after hundreds of protesters rallied against the terror ban of Palestine Action.
The force said this evening: “Parliament Square and Whitehall are clear. As of 9pm, 466 people had been arrested for showing support for Palestine Action.
“There were a further eight arrests for other offences including five assaults on officers.”
Separately, thousands of people took part in a Palestine Solidarity march through central London on Saturday to protest against the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Scores of officers have been brought in from other forces across the UK to help the Met deal with a busy weekend of protests.
For the Palestine Action demonstration, hundreds gathered in Parliament Square, Westminster, to hold up signs reading: “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.”
Organisers of the action claimed that between 600 and 700 people were taking part, but police said the number was likely less than this.
The government’s proscription of Palestine Action as a terror group under section 13 of the Terrorism Act is currently being challenged in the High Court.
Hundreds arrested in police crackdown at London rally against Palestine Action terror ban
Watch: Moment police arrest protesters as hundreds rally in support of Palestine Action
Why I am marching for freedom of speech
Who are Palestine Action? The proscribed ‘terror’ group taking the government to court
Key Points
- Final number of arrests on Saturday comes to more than 450
- Protest organisers claim police arrested 'only a fraction' of hundreds of sign-holders
- Pictured: People take part in Lift the Ban protest in Westminster
- Families share why they are protesting at Palestine Solidarity march
- Home secretary says freedom to protest is 'cornerstone of democracy'
First three charged over Palestine Action were named earlier this week
23:07 , Tara CobhamEarlier this week, the first three people to be charged with supporting Palestine Action in England and Wales were named.
Jeremy Shippam, 71, Judit Murray, 71, and Fiona Maclean, 53, have all been charged with displaying an article in a public place, arousing reasonable suspicion that they are a supporter of a proscribed organisation after their attendance at a previous demonstration last month.
Hundreds have been arrested in the wave of Defend Our Juries protests across the UK since the ban was implemented by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper last month.
89-year-old protester pictured being carried away by police officers
22:30 , Tara CobhamAn 89-year-old protester has been pictured being carried away by police during a rally challenging the British government's proscription of Palestine Action under anti-terrorism laws.
The demonstration organised by Defend Our Juries took place in Parliament Square, London, on Saturday.
Final number of arrests on Saturday comes to more than 450
21:32 , Tara CobhamThe Metropolitan Police has confirmed more than 450 people were arrested after hundreds of protesters rallied against the terror ban of Palestine Action.
The Metropolitan Police said: “Parliament Square and Whitehall are clear.
“As of 9pm, 466 people had been arrested for showing support for Palestine Action.
“There were a further eight arrests for other offences including five assaults on officers.
“This will be the final update of the day.”
Watch: Police make arrests as 'hundreds' hold placards in support of Palestine Action
21:30 , Tara CobhamMet detailed what has happened to detained protesters
21:00 , Tara CobhamThe Met earlier said the detained protesters were taken to prisoner processing points in the Westminster area, and those whose details could be confirmed were bailed, with conditions not to attend any further protest in support of Palestine Action.
Those whose details were refused, or could not be verified, were taken to custody suites across London.
Watch: Moment police arrest protesters as hundreds rally in support of Palestine Action
20:30 , Tara Cobham
Police arrest protesters as hundreds rally in support of Palestine Action
Home secretary thanks police for facilitating peaceful protest
20:00 , Tara CobhamThe home secretary has thanked the police for facilitating peaceful protest on Saturday, saying a “very small number of people…crossed the line into criminality”.
Yvette Cooper said: “Tens of thousands of people marched in London today to protest in support of Palestinian rights, working with the police to carry out their demonstration largely without incident.
“This will have been replicated in many other parts of the country too. We thank the police for their work in dealing with the very small number of people whose actions crossed the line into criminality.
“The right to protest is one we protect fiercely but this is very different from displaying support for this one specific and narrow, proscribed organisation.
“Palestine Action was proscribed based on strong security advice following serious attacks the group has committed, involving violence, significant injuries and extensive criminal damage.
“It also follows an assessment from the Joint Terrorism Assessment Centre that the group prepares for terrorism, as well as concerning information referencing plans and ideas for further attacks, the details of which cannot yet be publicly reported due to ongoing legal proceedings.
“Many people may not yet know the reality of this organisation, but the assessments are very clear, this is not a non-violent organisation. UK national security and public safety must always be our top priority.
“Their actions are not about the horrific suffering in the Middle East and do not reflect or represent the thousands of people across the country who are exercising their rights to protest peacefully.
“I would like to thank the police in London and across the country for their work to facilitate peaceful attendance at protests large and small today and officers’ continued dedication in responding to support for a proscribed organisation.”
Full story: Hundreds arrested in police crackdown at London rally against Palestine Action terror ban
19:15 , Tara CobhamHundreds of people have been arrested in London for protesting against the terror ban on the group Palestine Action.
Demonstrators gathered in Parliament Square in Westminster on Saturday to silently hold up signs, which read: “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.”
Within minutes of the protest starting at 1pm, rows of police officers filed into the square and started handcuffing protesters.
My colleague The Independent’s home affairs correspondent Holly Bancroft reports:
Hundreds arrested in police crackdown at rally against Palestine Action terror ban
Amnesty calls mass arrests 'deeply concerning'
18:45 , Tara CobhamAmnesty has described the mass arrests of protesters at the pro-Palestine march today as “deeply concerning”.
Sacha Deshmukh, chief executive of Amnesty International UK, said: “Today’s mass arrests of peaceful protesters under UK terrorism law are deeply concerning.
“Peaceful protest is a fundamental right. People are understandably outraged by the ongoing genocide being committed in Gaza and are entitled under international human rights law to express their horror.
“The protesters in Parliament Square were not inciting violence and it is entirely disproportionate to the point of absurdity to be treating them as terrorists.
“We have long criticised UK terrorism law for being excessively broad and vaguely worded and a threat to freedom of expression. These arrests demonstrate that our concerns were justified.
“Instead of criminalising peaceful demonstrators, the government should be focusing on taking immediate and unequivocal action to put a stop to Israel’s genocide and ending any risk of UK complicity in it.”
More than 350 confirmed arrests after pro-Palestine protest
18:21 , Tara CobhamThe Metropolitan Police has confirmed more than 350 people have now been arrested after protesters rallied for a pro-Palestine march in central London.
The force said this evening: “As of 6pm, 365 people had been arrested for supporting a proscribed organisation.
“There have been seven arrests for other offences including five for assaults on officers. Fortunately none were seriously injured.”
Protest organisers claim police arrested 'only a fraction' of hundreds of sign-holders
17:45 , Tara CobhamProtest organisers Defend Our Juries said earlier on Saturday that the police had arrested “only a fraction” of 600-700 sign-holders, as numbers surpassed their expectations.
The Metropolitan Police said: “That claim simply isn’t true.
“We estimate there were around 500 to 600 people in Parliament Square when the protest began, but many were onlookers, media people or people not holding placards in support of Palestine Action.
“We are confident that anyone who came to Parliament Square today to hold a placard expressing support for Palestine Action was either arrested or is in the process of being arrested.”
Watch: Moment police arrest protesters as hundreds rally in support of Palestine Action
17:08 , Holly Bancroft'We will not give up': Marchers explain why they are protesting for Gaza
16:42 , Holly BancroftMy colleague Tara Cobham is reporting from the Palestine Solidarity march in London:
A group of protesters say they have travelled down from the West Midlands to send the message to the UK government that “we will not comply” as Israel wages its war against Gaza.
Shakeela Bibi, 42, Bilal, 34, who only wished to give his first name, said they have attended countless pro-Palestine marches all around the UK.
They told The Independent: “Today is the message to the government and the powers that be: We will not comply, welcome to the revolution. Freedom is a right not a privilege - we will fight for this right for the Palestinians… None of us are free until all of us are. And until they are free, we will not give up, we will not stop.”
Describing the situation in Gaza as a “slaughter”, Ms Bibi said: “All children are in our protection as adults. We are duty-bound to protect them and save their lives. If we fail that, we fail as humans.”
Speaking of Saturday’s march in London, she said: “Today is about equality. There are no people superior to others, we are all humans, we are all equal.”
She added: “The beauty of our Palestine marches is the sheer vast variety of people… The whole cause of freedom unites everyone together.”
Everyone holding a placard will be arrested, Met Police say
16:23 , Holly BancroftThe Metropolitan Police have estimated that there were around 500 to 600 people in Parliament Square when the Lift the Ban protest began at 1pm.
However they said that “many were onlookers, media people or people not holding placards in support of Palestine Action”.
A spokesperson added: “We are confident that anyone who came to Parliament Square today to hold a placard expressing support for Palestine Action was either arrested or is in the process of being arrested”.
So far more than 150 people have been arrested.
Defend our Juries, who co-ordinated the protest, had estimated that around 600-700 people took part in the action, which saw people hold up signs in support of Palestine Action.
Families share why they are protesting at Palestine Solidarity march
16:16 , Holly BancroftMy colleague Tara Cobham is reporting from the Palestine Solidarity march in London:
A father who is protesting with his young children has spoken of his devastation every time he feeds his son and daughter and is reminded of those starving in Gaza.
Sam Seddon, 53, told The Independent: “Anyone who’s human is going to be devastated, for two years, over the death and destruction there - to say it’s not right. When there’s children starving and you go to feed your own children, it’s very hard.
“We’re all complicit in this.”
He cycled over from Walthamstow with Daniel, 11, Sofia, 9, and their pet dog in the front carriage of his bike to protest in central London today.
A mother and daughter have said they are protesting in central London today to demand the UK government take action on the crisis in Gaza.
Romanée Ramon, 20, who is demonstrating with her mother Andria, told The Independent: “We’ve come from south west London to fight for the fact the Palestinians are being starved by Israel, and say we don’t think it’s okay babies are being bombed right now. We’re doing everything we can to raise our voices to the government.”
200 people now arrested, police say
16:15 , Holly BancroftThe Metropolitan Police said they had made 200 arrests for showing support for a proscribed organisation by 3.40pm "with more to follow".
There were a further four arrests for assaults on officers.
The force said the detained protesters were taken to prisoner processing points in the Westminster area, and those whose details could be confirmed were bailed, with conditions not to attend any further protest in support of Palestine Action.
"Those whose details were refused, or could not be verified, were taken to custody suites across London," the force said.
Protesters arrested by police are not being taken into custody, organisers say
16:01 , Holly BancroftProtesters arrested for holding signs in support of Palestine Action have not been taken into police custody but instead are allowed to go home, organisers of the demonstration have said.
A spokesperson for Defend Our Juries, who co-ordinated the protest at Parliament Square, said: “The police have only been able to arrest a fraction of those supposedly committing ‘terrorism’ offences, and most of those have been given street bail and allowed to go home. This is a major embarrassment to Yvette Cooper, further undermining the credibility of this widely ridiculed law, brought in to punish those exposing the government’s own crimes.”
They said that they already had growing support for their next action in September.
Thousands march for Palestine in London
15:33 , Tara CobhamThousands of people have joined a pro-Palestine solidarity march in London today, away from scenes of arrest in Parliament Square.
Organisers from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign estimated hundreds of thousands of people were in attendance for the march, which went from Russel Square to Downing Street.
Protesters were marching against Israel’s war on Gaza as the Strip faces a worsening starvation crisis.
Chants of “Gaza must have food and water, no more killing, no more slaughter” and “free Palestine” could be heard among the voices of crowds that have come from all over the UK to demand action from the UK government.
Signs reading “shame shame shame UK complicit”, “end the siege”, and “stop starving Gaza” can be seen among the countless Palestinian flags flying above the demonstrators marching from Russell Square to Downing Street.
Police officers, meanwhile, lined the route.
In pictures: Police gather to arrest protesters
15:12 , Holly BancroftDozens of police officers lined up ahead of the Lift the Ban protest, with demonstrators holding up signs in support of proscribed group Palestine Action.
150 people have been arrested at the protest against Palestine Action ban
15:11 , Holly BancroftThe Metropolitan Police said 150 people had been arrested at the protest in support of Palestine Action in Parliament Square.
It said many of the people remaining in the square were onlookers or members of the media, but officers were still making further arrests.
In a post on X, the forces said: “Officers are steadily working through the crowd making further arrests”.
In pictures: Protesters hold signs in support of Palestine Action
14:53 , Holly Bancroft
Police say they will arrest anyone expressing support for Palestine Action
14:30 , Holly BancroftThe Metropolitan Police have said that they will arrest “anyone expressing support for Palestine Action”.
In a post to X, the force said that there were “significant resources deployed to this operation”.
It comes after the Home Office said that the decision to proscribe Palestine Action was “based on strong security advice and the unanimous recommendation by the expert cross-government Proscription Review Group”.
A spokesperson said: “It also followed an assessment from the Joint Terrorism Assessment Centre that Palestine Action prepares for terrorism, as well as worrying information referencing plans and ideas for further attacks, the details of which cannot yet be publicly reported due to ongoing legal proceedings."
Co-founder of Palestine Action Huda Ammori has previously criticised the home secretary for referring to “secret evidence” which the group has been unable to see or rebut.
Home secretary says freedom to protest is 'cornerstone of democracy'
14:21 , Holly BancroftAhead of today’s demonstration against the ban of Palestine Action, the Home Office said that the group’s proscription as a terror organisation would not affect “the freedom to protest on Palestinian rights”.
A Home Office spokesperson said on Saturday: “The home secretary has been clear that the proscription of Palestine Action is not about Palestine, nor does it affect the freedom to protest on Palestinian rights.
“It only applies to the specific and narrow organisation whose activities do not reflect or represent the thousands of people across the country who continue to exercise their fundamental rights to protest on different issues.
“Freedom to protest is a cornerstone of our democracy and we protect it fiercely”.
Who are Palestine Action? The proscribed ‘terror’ group taking the government to court
14:10 , Holly BancroftPalestine Action is a direct action group that was banned by the Home Office after several of its members broke into an Oxfordshire RAF base to spray-paint military planes.
Formed in 2020, Palestine Action has conducted a series of direct action protests over the past five years, largely against arms manufacturers operating in the UK and selling weapons to Israel.
Unveiling the intention to ban the group following the incident on June 23, Ms Cooper said it was the latest in a “long history of unacceptable criminal damage committed by Palestine Action”.
Who are Palestine Action? The proscribed group taking the government to court
What is it like at the Lift the Ban protest?
14:01 , Holly BancroftThe crowd, who gathered in Westminster at 1pm, could be seen writing "I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action" on white placards, with the vast majority remaining silent.
Several demonstrators carrying placards that read "Palestine Action terrorises Britain while Hamas hides in hospitals, schools and mosques", briefly walked along the crowd before being led away by Metropolitan Police officers.
Other clusters of protesters who were not holding placards gathered around the Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela statues in the square singing pro-Palestinian chants.
The officers lifted the protesters - some sitting and some lying flat - off the ground before escorting them away.
Onlookers applauded the protesters and shouted "Shame on you" at the police making arrests.
Bianca Jagger attends London protest against Palestine Action ban
14:00 , Holly BancroftBianca Jagger was among the demonstrators at Parliament Square, holding a sign quoting the words of UN human rights chief Volker Turk.
Mr Turk has criticised the ban, saying that it was at odds with international human rights law.
Ms Jagger wrote in The Independent that she would be at the demonstration “to demand that the UK government uphold our right to freedom of speech and to denounce the genocide that the Israeli government is perpetrating in Gaza against the Palestinian people”.
Pictured: People take part in Lift the Ban protest in Westminster
13:57 , Holly BancroftPeople protesting against Palestine Action’s terror ban take part in a mass action in Parliament Square, Westminster, central London.
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Police have started making arrests at protest against Palestine Action ban
13:54 , Holly BancroftPolice have started arresting demonstrators for holding up signs in support of banned terror group Palestine Action in Parliament Square, Westminster.
Hundreds of people gathered in Westminster at 1pm today and wrote “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action” on cardboard signs.
This is an offence under terror laws, as the law bans signs or t-shirts in support of terror groups.
Home secretary Yvette Cooper recently proscribed the group Palestine Action, after an attack on UK military planes at RAF Brize Norton.
Palestine Action have been allowed to challenge their proscription in an upcoming High Court challenge in November.
