London police said they arrested 139 people at a protest outside the U.S. Embassy on Saturday in support of Palestine Action, a group banned in Britain as a terrorist organization. Sky News, citing police, put the total from the protest at 325.
The Metropolitan Police said most of those taken into custody had expressed support for a proscribed organization. It said more arrests are expected as officers remain at the scene.
What We Know So Far
Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the embassy in Nine Elms. Many were retirees holding signs that read: “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action.” One protester climbed a tree outside the embassy and waved a placard that read: “God help us. Teachers who support Palestine. Palestine Action.”
Another vigil was held outside the U.S. Consulate in Edinburgh, near Holyrood, with similar placards. No arrests were reported there. Police Scotland said inquiries were continuing to identify people seen wearing T-shirts and holding banners showing support for a proscribed organization. “Evidence is being reviewed and further action will be taken as appropriate,” it said.
Expressing support for Palestine Action has been an offense under the Terrorism Act since the group was proscribed in June 2025. Membership in or support for the group is punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
What Authorities Are Saying
Defend Our Juries, the activist group that planned the demonstration, said more than 4,000 people have been detained since July 2025 for defying the ban. It called it “truly dystopian” that there have been over 4,000 arrests under terror laws for what it described as peaceful vigils.
Supporters of Palestine Action say the ban is draconian and violates freedom of speech.
Differing Accounts
The arrest totals differ. The Metropolitan Police statement carried by the AP said 139 were arrested outside the embassy, while Sky News reported 325 arrests during the protest, with most held for expressing support for the group. The sources do not explain the gap.
Why This Matters
The protests came ahead of an appeal at the Supreme Court against Palestine Action’s terror designation on Nov. 4. In February, the High Court ruled that the ban was “disproportionate,” but in June the Court of Appeal ruled that it was lawful.
Sky News reported 3,867 arrests for suspected terrorist activity in Britain in the year to June, 94% of them linked to supporting the group. In the previous 12 months, before the ban took effect, there were 234 terror arrests.
The U.S. government announced sanctions against Palestine Action in August, designating it as a terrorist group.
Palestine Action was founded in 2020 and says it aims to stop U.K. military support for Israel by disrupting “corporate enablers of the Israeli military-industrial complex.” It says Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians, an accusation Israel strongly denies. In 2024, its activists broke into a factory owned by Israeli weapons maker Elbit Systems UK and smashed equipment with sledgehammers and crowbars. In June 2025, activists broke into a Royal Air Force base, sprayed red paint into the engines of two tanker planes and caused further damage with crowbars.
What Happens Next
The Supreme Court appeal against the designation is set for Nov. 4. Police said more arrests are expected in London, and Police Scotland said further action may follow in Edinburgh.
Sources: the Associated Press and Sky News, citing the Metropolitan Police, Police Scotland and Defend Our Juries.
