British police have arrested over 466 individuals in central London during a protest on Saturday, the majority of whom were detained for showing support for the recently banned group Palestine Action. The demonstration, organized by a group called “Defend Our Juries,” took place in Parliament Square and was aimed at challenging a new anti-terrorism law that criminalizes public support for the organization.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed the arrests, stating that 466 people were held under the UK’s Terrorism Act for “showing support for a proscribed group,” while an additional eight were arrested for other offenses, including assaulting police officers. The protest was described by police as a “significant policing presence,” and organizers claimed that many participants deliberately sought arrest to strain the criminal justice system and highlight their opposition to the law.
The UK government officially banned Palestine Action in July, designating it a “terror organization” under the Terrorism Act 2000. This decision followed an incident on June 20 where activists broke into a Royal Air Force base in Oxfordshire, vandalizing two tanker planes to protest British military support for Israel’s offensive in Gaza. The ban makes it a criminal offense punishable by up to 14 years in prison to be a member of or to publicly show support for the group.
The arrests have drawn criticism from human rights organizations, with Amnesty International UK’s chief executive, Sacha Deshmukh, calling the mass detentions “deeply concerning.” Deshmukh stated that the protesters were not inciting violence and that treating them as terrorists was “disproportionate to the point of absurdity.” The UK Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, has defended the ban, citing “strong security advice” and “serious attacks” committed by the group, including “significant injuries and extensive criminal damage.”