Massive Attack frontman Robert Del Naja was among more than 500 people arrested at a mass protest against the ban on Palestine Action in central London on Saturday, The Guardian reported.

Del Naja, also known as 3D, was seen holding a sign that read: "I Oppose Genocide, I Support Palestine Action" in Trafalgar Square before police approached and carried him away from the demonstration as other protesters cheered.

BREAKING: Massive Attack's Robert Del Naja unlawfully arrested under the Terrorism Act.

He was amongst hundreds of protestors arrested for holding signs which say "I oppose genocide - I support Palestine Action".

The ban is unlawful, and so are these arrests. pic.twitter.com/FOgvC0z7x2

— Defend Our Juries (@DefendOurJuries) April 11, 2026

In footage of his arrest, the musician can be heard saying, "I'm being unlawfully arrested" when asked why he was being detained.

Musician cites 'trepidation' over potential impact on career

Before his arrest, Del Naja told the Press Association he had concerns about how an arrest could affect his ability to travel and obtain visas for the band's upcoming summer tour.

"Being a musician, obviously, there was a lot of trepidation around how we might not be able to travel and get visas," he said. "But I thought 'this is ridiculous' and then the police making that U-turn to arrest people again, I thought that is even more ridiculous. So I'm going to hold a sign today."

He added that he believed the actions of Palestine Action were "highly patriotic because they were pretty much protecting our country from getting involved in serious war crimes and breaking international law."

"How much more patriotic can you be than that?" he said.

Mass arrests despite court ruling against ban

More than 500 people were arrested on Saturday as part of the first mass demonstration opposing the proscription of Palestine Action since the group's ban was ruled unlawful by the High Court in February, according to the report.

The High Court judgment said the government's proscription of the direct action group was "disproportionate and unlawful" and that most of their activities had not reached the level, scale, and persistence to be defined as terrorism.

After that judgment, the Metropolitan Police indicated its officers would be unlikely to continue making arrests. But by March, it said it would resume arresting protesters for supporting Palestine Action.

More than 2,200 people have been arrested so far for allegedly expressing support for Palestine Action, the report stated.

Organizers condemn arrests as 'truly surreal'

Defend Our Juries, which organized the demonstration, said the Metropolitan Police were choosing to make arrests despite the government's ban on the group being ruled unlawful by the High Court, with leading lawyers warning that any arrests would be unlawful.

A spokesperson for the group described the arrests as "truly surreal", adding, "An already absurdly authoritarian measure has now descended even further into farce ahead of the court of appeal hearing this month."

The Metropolitan Police said 523 people had been arrested by midnight on April 11, with ages ranging from 18 to 87.

Massive Attack are due to begin a summer tour in Europe from May 26 until June 8, starting in Helsinki, Finland.

UK complicity in aggression

The arrests come as the UK has authorized the United States to use British military bases to carry out operations against Iran. During a phone conversation on March 20 with British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the UK for allowing the US to use its military bases against Iran.

"These actions will certainly be regarded as participation in aggression and will be recorded in the history of relations between our two countries," Araghchi said.

Araghchi also called on UK officials to refrain from any cooperation with the US and the Israeli regime, including providing platforms for "terrorist" TV channels supporting hostile actions against Iranians.

A pattern of repression

US President Donald Trump has railed against Starmer for what he calls insufficient support in the US-Israeli war on Iran, straining the countries' longtime alliance. Yet the UK has nonetheless authorized US military operations from its soil, making it a direct participant in the aggression.

The arrests at Lakenheath reflect a broader pattern of repression against pro-Palestine activism in Britain. Despite court rulings questioning the legality of the ban on Palestine Action, the government continues to enforce it, using counter-terrorism powers to silence dissent.

For the activists arrested on Sunday, their crime was not violence, but wearing a message opposing genocide. In Starmer's Britain, that is apparently enough to warrant arrest. Meanwhile, the bombs launched from British bases continue to fall on Iran. The government's priorities could not be clearer.