139 Arrested at London Protest Against Palestine Action Ban

London’s Metropolitan Police said 139 people were arrested on Saturday after hundreds gathered outside the US embassy in the capital to demonstrate against the UK government’s ban on the campaign group Palestine Action. Most of those detained were held on suspicion of expressing support for a proscribed organisation, police said.

Palestine Action has been proscribed under UK terrorism legislation since July 2025, meaning it is illegal to be a member or to show support for the group. The ban was introduced by the previous government led by Keir Starmer and remains in force under the current administration of Andy Burnham. Saturday’s rally, which took place despite a police warning that arrests could be made, was the first mass protest against the proscription since the current prime minister took office, according to organisers.

A Supreme Court hearing is scheduled for Wednesday to consider a legal challenge to the proscription. Hundreds attended the London demonstration, while a smaller protest also took place outside the US consulate in Edinburgh, where no arrests were reported. The appeal is the latest stage in a legal effort to overturn the ban.

Organisers from the group Defend Our Juries said Saturday’s arrests brought the total number of people detained for defying the ban to more than 4,000 since it came into force. The Metropolitan Police updated its arrest figure from 48 earlier in the day to 139 by Saturday evening, saying the majority of arrests related to expressing support for the banned organisation.