325 Arrested at London Protest Supporting Palestine Action

More than 100 people gathered near the U.S. Embassy in London on October 30 to support Palestine Action. London’s Metropolitan Police said the next day that 325 people had been arrested, including 320 for expressing support for a proscribed organization under the Terrorism Act. Officers were still making arrests during the protest, police said in an earlier update that gave a lower total of 48.

Mass Arrests Ahead of Challenge to Palestine Action Ban

The arrest of 325 protesters outside the U.S. Embassy in London puts the consequences of Britain’s ban on Palestine Action in sharp focus. Police said 320 arrests were for expressing support for the proscribed group, after demonstrators held signs opposing what they called genocide and backing Palestine Action.

The group says it seeks to disrupt companies it considers enablers of Israel’s military industry. Israel strongly denies the accusation of genocide made by Palestine Action. The British government outlawed the group in July 2025 under anti-terror legislation, making membership or support punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

A Supreme Court hearing on the ban is scheduled to begin November 4. The protest came as campaigners and police tallies put the number of people arrested for showing support for the group at more than 4,000, including senior citizens and Holocaust survivors.

Supporters of the ban argue that expressing support for a proscribed organization is a criminal matter. But the scale of arrests at this demonstration shows how the law reaches people whose visible act was holding signs or otherwise voicing support. The court’s consideration of the designation will now test the government’s use of anti-terror powers against the group.

Police Arrest 325 at Rally for Proscribed Group

Police arrested 325 people outside the U.S. Embassy in London at a rally supporting Palestine Action, an organization Britain has outlawed under anti-terror legislation. The Metropolitan Police said 320 people were detained for voicing support for an organization listed under the law.

Under the law, membership in or support for the group can lead to a prison sentence of up to 14 years. Its ban is set to face a Supreme Court hearing beginning November 4. The protest, attended by more than 100 people, came just ahead of that legal challenge.

Palestine Action says it aims to disrupt companies it considers connected to Israel’s military industry. Its activists have previously broken into an Elbit Systems UK factory and an RAF base, damaging equipment and aircraft. Israel strongly denies the group’s allegation of genocide.

Police are enforcing a law passed by the government, while the Supreme Court is preparing to examine the ban itself. The case will put the government’s use of anti-terror legislation under scrutiny; until the court rules, the group remains proscribed and expressing support for it can carry serious criminal penalties.