UK protest against Palestine Action ban may set arrest record
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Thousands plan to defy the Palestine Action ban in the UK, with campaigners warning Saturday’s protest could see record mass arrests by police.
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Protesters argue with police officers during a protest to support Palestine Action in London, Saturday, September 6, 2025 (AP)
A mass protest planned for Saturday against the ban on the pro-Palestine group Palestine Action could set a record for the largest number of arrests in a single act of civil disobedience, The Guardian reported, citing the organization Defend Our Juries.
According to the group, 1,500 people have pledged to take part in the demonstration, with hundreds more expected to join before the weekend. A spokesperson told The Guardian that Saturday “could see arrests rise to nearly double the current total of 1,600,” calling it “a new record for mass arrests and an extraordinary misuse of counterterror and police resources.”
The spokesperson said those targeted range from priests and clergy to students and retired healthcare workers, describing the arrests as “a scandal that strips us of our fundamental rights to free expression and protest; not for our safety, but to protect arms manufacturers and enable Israel to continue slaughtering the Palestinian people.”
More than 1,600 people arrested
Defend Our Juries noted that the standing record for mass arrests at a single protest was 1,314, carried out by London police during the anti-nuclear Committee of 100 demonstration at Trafalgar Square in 1961.
Since the Palestine Action ban came into force, police have arrested more than 1,600 people, often for carrying placards reading: “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action.” The largest number of arrests so far took place on September 6, when 890 demonstrators were detained in Parliament Square.
In early September, nearly 900 people were arrested in the United Kingdom over the weekend during a protest in London in support of the banned pro-Palestinian group Palestine Action, according to the Metropolitan Police.
Authorities confirmed that 857 individuals were arrested under the Terrorism Act of 2000 for supporting a proscribed organization, with another 33 detained for separate offences, including alleged assaults on police officers.
Solidarity with Gaza targeted in crackdown
The protest, described by organizers as an expression of solidarity with Gaza, was held outside the UK Parliament and drew around 1,500 participants.
Many demonstrators carried signs condemning "Israel's" aggression and genocide in Gaza and expressing support for Palestine.
This comes as "Israel" intensified its genocide of Gaza and launched new strikes with the stated aim of seizing Gaza City to defeat the Palestinian resistance.
