London (BN24) – British police detained more than 20 people on terrorism-related charges Saturday after they expressed support for Palestine Action, the pro-Palestinian activist network that was officially outlawed just hours earlier under sweeping anti-terror laws.
The arrests unfolded in the heart of London, where demonstrators gathered in Parliament Square to protest the ban and voice solidarity with Palestinians. Some held placards declaring, “I OPPOSE GENOCIDE. I SUPPORT PALESTINE ACTION.” Television footage showed officers leading several protesters away in handcuffs from the statue of Mahatma Gandhi as they shouted slogans denouncing Britain’s ties to Israel.
The crackdown came after a last-ditch legal challenge failed late Friday. The group had sought to block the government’s move to proscribe it as a terrorist organization—a designation that took effect at midnight following a parliamentary vote. The Home Office has argued that the group’s repeated acts of sabotage crossed the line into criminal extremism.
Palestine Action, whose activists have targeted companies linked to Israel’s defense industry, drew the government’s ire last month after breaking into a Royal Air Force base and damaging two aircraft in protest over what it called Britain’s complicity in Israeli military operations. Interior minister Yvette Cooper said such tactics amounted to “violent criminal damage” that undermines legitimate protest and warranted proscription.
Under British counterterrorism law, it is a crime to publicly endorse, support, or display symbols of a banned organization, offenses that can carry prison sentences of up to 14 years. Since 2000, the UK has banned 81 groups including Hamas, al-Qaeda, and ISIS.
Critics, including civil liberties advocates and some United Nations experts, say the move marks an alarming escalation that criminalizes political dissent and blurs the line between protest and terrorism. They argue that damaging property does not meet any internationally accepted definition of terrorism.
Saturday’s demonstration was part of a broader day of pro-Palestinian activism across London. At a separate protest during the city’s annual Pride parade, activists from the Youth Demand group disrupted the festivities by dousing a U.S. tech company’s truck in red paint and gluing themselves to it. The group said it targeted the float because Cisco Systems supplies technology “helping Israel” in the war in Gaza. Police arrested five demonstrators, who were removed as thousands watched.
Israel has faced growing international condemnation over its military campaign in Gaza, which began in October 2023 after Hamas militants attacked southern Israel. While United Nations experts have accused Israel of carrying out genocidal acts against Palestinians, Israeli officials have vehemently rejected the allegations.
Saturday’s arrests marked the first major enforcement action since the ban took effect, underscoring the British government’s determination to crack down on activists it deems extremist.
