Police make mass arrests at Palestine Action rally outside UK Parliament

Violence breaks retired arsenic constabulary determination successful connected 1,500 radical protesting against government’s proscription of anti-genocide group.

London constabulary person arrested astatine slightest 150 protesters during convulsive clashes astatine a rally calling connected the United Kingdom’s authorities to assistance a ban connected the Palestine Action group.

Defend Our Juries, the run radical that organised the rally connected Saturday, said astir 1,500 radical participated successful the objection extracurricular the UK Parliament successful London, risking apprehension nether terrorism laws.

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“Met constabulary brutally onslaught protesters and propulsion them to the ground, whilst they wide apprehension others for holding cardboard signs which say: ‘I reason genocide. I enactment Palestine Action’,” Defend Our Juries posted connected X on with a video depicting the clashes.

BREAKING: Met constabulary brutally onslaught protestors and propulsion them to the ground, whilst they wide apprehension others for holding cardboard signs which say:

"I reason genocide. I enactment Palestine Action" pic.twitter.com/Ivzfcz2YNk

— Defend Our Juries (@DefendourJuries) September 6, 2025

The Press Association, a UK quality agency, reported that constabulary drew their batons during the clashes, and 1 protester was seen with humor streaming down his look down a obstruction aft being arrested.

The bureau besides reported that constabulary had screaming arguments with demonstrators and had h2o and integrative bottles thrown astatine them portion respective protesters fell implicit successful a crush astatine 1 point.

London’s Metropolitan Police confirmed that astir 150 radical had been arrested for a scope of offences, including assaulting a constabulary serviceman and expressing enactment for a proscribed organisation.

“Officers policing the Defend Our Juries protestation successful Parliament Square person been subjected to an exceptional level of maltreatment including punches, kicks, spitting and objects being thrown, successful summation to verbal abuse,” the Met said connected X.

‘Chilling effect’

The protests are the latest successful a bid of rallies denouncing the UK government’s determination successful July to prohibition Palestine Action nether the Terrorism Act 2000.

The prohibition came aft members of the radical broke into an aerial unit basal successful confederate England the erstwhile month, causing an estimated 7 cardinal pounds ($9.4m) of damage to 2 aircraft.

Membership successful oregon enactment for the group, which is supported by salient figures similar bestselling Irish writer Sally Rooney and Massive Attack singer-songwriter Robert Del Naja, is present a transgression offence punishable by up to 14 years successful prison.

Palestine Action has won support from the High Court to situation the ban, a ruling the authorities is seeking to overturn. The lawsuit is ongoing with a proceeding scheduled connected September 25.

Huda Ammori, Palestine Action’s cofounder, has condemned the government’s determination to prohibition it arsenic “catastrophic” for civilian liberties and said it would pb to a “much wider chilling effect connected state of speech”.

A demonstrator sitting wrong a constabulary conveyance is detained aft challenging the British government’s proscription of Palestine Action nether anti-terrorism laws [Carlos Jasso/Reuters]

Kerry Moscogiuri of the quality rights run radical Amnesty International UK said: “When the authorities is arresting radical nether coercion laws for sitting peacefully successful protest, thing is going precise incorrect present successful the UK.”

“Criminalising code successful this discourse is lone permitted erstwhile it incites unit oregon advocates hatred. Expressing enactment for Palestine Action does not, successful itself, conscionable this threshold.”

More than 700 radical were arrested astatine earlier protests – including 532 astatine a London rally connected August 9, which marked the largest wide apprehension successful the superior since the 1960s – and 138 person been charged nether the Terrorism Act.

Mike Higgins, 62, who is unsighted and uses a wheelchair, returned to protestation connected Saturday aft making headlines implicit his apprehension connected August 9.

“What prime bash I have?” helium told The Press Association. “Nothing is being done astir the genocide different than by america .”

“And I’m a terrorist? That’s the gag of it.”

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies