London Police Arrest 523 Palestine Action Supporters as High Court Rules Ban Illegal

In the United Kingdom, authorities have continued to arrest supporters of the banned group Palestine Action, even as the group’s legal status has been contested in London courts.

Zonebourse Suisse reports that Palestine Action was proscribed “l'an dernier” under anti-terrorism legislation, and that the High Court in London ruled in February that the ban was illegal while it remained in force pending the government’s appeal, with audiences beginning “mardi.”

Al Jazeera

The same account says the group was placed on a level “au même rang que l'Etat islamique ou Al-Qaïda,” making membership a criminal offense punishable by “jusqu'à 14 ans de prison.”

It also states that “Plus de 2'700 personnes” were arrested since the ban, though charges could be dropped if the High Court decision is confirmed.

The Al-Quds Al-Arabi report adds that the trial of Palestine-supporting activists detained for more than a year over an activity linked to Palestine Action is set to resume on Tuesday, and that bail applications for all defendants were denied.

Meanwhile, the Al-أيام البحرينية piece says London police stopped “around 500 protesters” at a rally in support of Palestine Action, and that the Metropolitan Police said “523 people were arrested today for showing support for a banned organization.”

Protesters and organizers framed the arrests and the ban as part of a wider crackdown, while also insisting on continued demonstrations.

In London, AFP-linked reporting in Al-أيام البحرينية quotes Freya, 28, an environmental organization director, saying, “It’s very important to keep taking part.”

Al-Monitor

She added, “It is important that we all continue to oppose genocide... The government may back down from its legal position, but the ethics of these people here do not change.”

The same article reports that the Defend Our Jurors movement said the Saturday demonstration protested the “UK government’s complicity in Israeli genocide in Gaza and the crackdown under misleading pretexts for peaceful protest at home.”

It also says the movement added that police “continue making arrests even though the government's ban on the group is unlawful under a ruling by the High Court, and despite warnings from prominent lawyers that any arrests would be illegal.”

In parallel, Le Monde reports that Greta Thunberg was arrested in London during a protest holding a sign reading “I support the prisoners of Palestine Action. I oppose genocide,” and that a spokesperson for Defend Our Juries said she was arrested under British anti-terrorism law.

The legal fight around Palestine Action has produced acquittals that supporters and critics interpreted in sharply different ways.

The Times of Israel reports that six British pro-Palestinian activists were acquitted of aggravated robbery charges on Wednesday after a 2024 raid on an Elbit Systems facility in Bristol, with the jury delivering “not guilty verdicts on all counts.”

It names the acquitted defendants as Charlotte Head (29), Samuel Corner (23), Leona Caiyo (30), Fatima Zainab Rajwani (21), Zoe Rogers (22), and Jordan Devlin (31), and says the prosecution had told the jury the raid caused about “£1 million ($1.4 million) in damage.”

The Times of Israel also quotes the Defend Our Juries campaign saying, “These verdicts put an end to the government's deceptive claims that these brave activists are violent criminals.”

It then describes a statement from the Board of Deputies of British Jews warning of “a real danger of using corrupt excuses as a shield for criminal activity,” and adding, “It cannot be accepted that those who commit serious crimes, including violent assaults, can escape accountability.”

In a different framing, ISM-France says the “Filton 6” were acquitted of all charges and calls it a “monumental” and “total” victory, adding that the militants told The Electronic Intifada the outcome was “monumental” and “total” victory.

Different outlets describe the same Palestine Action protest and legal developments with contrasting emphasis, including how they characterize the ban, the arrests, and the defendants’ conduct.

Zonebourse Suisse frames the ban as a judicially contested anti-terror measure, stating that the High Court ruled the ban illegal in February while it stayed in force during the appeal, and it describes the group’s proscription as placing it “au même rang que l'Etat islamique ou Al-Qaïda.”

AV Club

Al-أيام البحرينية, drawing on AFP, foregrounds the scale of policing at rallies, saying London police arrested “523 people” on Saturday and that “Since the ban on 'Palestine Action', nearly three thousand people have been arrested, most for carrying signs.”

The Times of Israel focuses on courtroom procedure and outcomes, reporting acquittals at Woolwich Crown Court and quoting the judge’s instruction that the ban has “nothing to do with the criminal trial” and that jurors should consider “the case on the basis of the evidence.”

Le Monde emphasizes high-profile solidarity and the hunger strike context, reporting Greta Thunberg’s arrest and the solidarity with “eight Palestine Action militants, aged 20 to 31,” some of whom had been on hunger strike since the beginning of November.

The Grayzone presents a sharply different portrayal of the legal process, saying a “draconian British judge” imposed restrictions and that defendants were “barred under court order from using terms like “genocide” or discussing the target of their direction action protests.”

The immediate next steps described across the reporting center on continued appeals, resumed trials, and the health and legal status of hunger-striking detainees.

Zonebourse Suisse says the government’s appeal of the High Court ruling is ongoing, with “les audiences” beginning “mardi,” and it notes that charges could be abandoned if the High Court decision is confirmed.

BBC

Al-أيام البحرينية says the judiciary halted all trials of people charged with supporting the organization and set a date for a comprehensive review of the cases on “30 June,” while also stating that the Metropolitan Police halted arrests following the High Court ruling before resuming them in late March with “more than 500 arrestations.”

The Grayzone describes retrial dynamics, saying “Since the retrial of six Palestine Action (PA) activists began on April 13,” defendants faced restrictions, and it links those restrictions to the possibility of “terrorism”-related sentences if convicted on lesser criminal charges.

Al-Quds Al-Arabi reports that the trial of six Palestine-supporting activists detained for more than a year is set to resume on Tuesday, and it says the jury is expected to begin deliberations by Friday, with closing arguments scheduled for the week.

Finally, Association France Palestine Solidarité says the activists “have ended their hunger strike” as of “Last updated - January 15, 2026,” while also describing that eight young British activists “are in imminent danger of death” and demanding that David Lammy intervene immediately.