Protestsupdated 1h ago2 min read
MapLondon Police Arrest 139 After Protesters Defy Palestine Action Ban Outside US Embassy
4 Western Mainstream2 West Asian1 Israeli1 Local WesternMap: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL · Cropped for layout
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
At least 139 arrested in London protests outside the US Embassy against the Palestine Action ban. Demonstrations extended to Edinburgh; hundreds gathered in London defying the ban.
Save coverage image
8 outlets told this the same way.
Outlets did split on UK Home Office Cancels Andreas Malm’s ETA Before London Panel With Palestine Action →
London arrests after ban
British police arrested at least 139 people after protesters defied a warning not to attend a rally in London against the proscription of Palestine Action, which the United Kingdom classifies as a “terrorist” organisation under United Kingdom law.
The Metropolitan Police said “139 people have now been arrested”, up from the 48 it said it detained earlier in the day, as hundreds gathered outside the United States embassy on Saturday.
The protests came ahead of a Supreme Court appeal on Wednesday challenging the campaign group’s proscription, with the London rally described as the first mass protest against the proscription since Prime Minister Andy Burnham assumed office in July.
The Metropolitan Police warned demonstrators that expressing support for a proscribed organisation could lead to arrest, and the protests featured placards reading “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.”
Edinburgh vigil, competing counts
Police arrested 48 people during a demonstration in London on Saturday in support of Palestine Action, and Sky News reported that the majority of those arrested were detained for “expressing support for a proscribed organisation.”
Protesters also gathered outside the US consulate in Edinburgh, with Anadolu Ajansı reporting that there were no reports of arrests there.
The Supreme Court appeal was scheduled for Nov. 4, and the High Court ruled in February that the ban was “disproportionate” while the Court of Appeal ruled in June that proscribing Palestine Action was lawful.
A Home Office spokesperson said the Court of Appeal had found that Palestine Action carried out acts of terrorism, celebrated those involved and promoted violence, while the spokesperson said the ban did not affect lawful protests in support of the Palestinian cause.
Supreme Court stakes
Defend Our Juries said Saturday’s arrests took the total number of people detained for defying the Palestine Action ban to more than 4,000 since July 2025, and the group called the situation “truly dystopian.” Amnesty International UK’s head of communications and campaigns, Felix Jakens, said “The sight yet again of grandparents, teenagers and everyone in between being hauled into police vans for peacefully holding placards is a disgraceful attack on freedom of speech.”
The ban puts Palestine Action on a blacklist that also includes al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS), and it makes membership of, or support for, Palestine Action a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison. The protests and arrests were framed as occurring days ahead of the Supreme Court hearing, with the London and Edinburgh demonstrations staged outside the United States embassy and the US consulate respectively.