London— In a sweeping crackdown across the UK, more than 70 protesters were arrested on Saturday for allegedly displaying signs in support of the recently banned group, Palestine Action. The arrests took place during coordinated demonstrations in cities including London, Manchester, Cardiff, and Derry, just a week after the UK government designated the group a terrorist organisation, reported the Guardian.
In central London’s Parliament Square, 42 individuals were detained by the Metropolitan Police after protesters sat at the foot of the statues of Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela. Demonstrators held signs and placards that authorities claimed expressed support for Palestine Action. The protest was part of a campaign led by the civil liberties group Defend Our Juries, which confirmed that further demonstrations were also held in other cities.
“Over 300 police officers have carried away dozens from Parliament Square for allegedly committing terrorism offences,” the group said in a post on X (formerly Twitter), adding that those detained were mainly sign-holders.
In Manchester’s St Peter’s Square, 16 people were arrested for similar actions near the statue of Emmeline Pankhurst. Greater Manchester Police stated, “At around 2.30pm this afternoon, we responded to a protest taking place in St Peter’s Square – 16 people were arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000.”
Cardiff also saw police action, where 13 people demonstrating outside the BBC Cymru Wales headquarters were taken into custody. “They were arrested on suspicion of committing offences under section 12 of the Terrorism Act 2000,” said a spokesperson from South Wales Police. The force maintained that while peaceful protest is a protected right, it must be conducted lawfully.
Defend Our Juries alleged that among those arrested were three Christian vicars and numerous elderly citizens, highlighting concerns over the aggressive enforcement tactics. In London, officers were seen searching protestors’ belongings, checking identification, and seizing placards. Some demonstrators were carried away to waiting police vans after sitting silently and displaying messages written on cardboard.
The clampdown follows Home Secretary Yvette Cooper’s decision to proscribe Palestine Action under terrorism legislation. The group made headlines after allegedly breaching security at RAF Brize Norton and spray-painting military aircraft. The House of Commons passed the motion to ban the group on July 2, followed by approval in the House of Lords the next day.
Civil liberties organisations, human rights experts from the United Nations, artists, and hundreds of legal professionals have condemned the ban as “draconian” and a dangerous conflation of protest with terrorism. Critics argue this sets a troubling precedent for the suppression of dissent and non-violent activism.
Palestine Action now holds the distinction of being the first direct-action protest organisation to be banned under the Terrorism Act, placing it alongside groups such as Islamic State, al-Qaida, and National Action.
