# Mass arrests follow London protest against Palestine Action ban
Police in London said 890 people were arrested at a demonstration in Westminster opposing the ban on Palestine Action, with the Metropolitan Police describing most of the detentions as support for a proscribed group under terrorism law.
The protest took place in Parliament Square on Saturday, where an estimated 1,500 people gathered before arrests began shortly after 13:00 BST. The Met said 857 arrests were for showing support for Palestine Action, while 33 were for other offences, including 17 arrests for assaults on police officers. The force initially announced 425 arrests on Saturday, later revising the figure upward.
The ban on Palestine Action was introduced in July under anti-terrorism legislation, making membership of or support for the group a criminal offence. The government moved after activists broke into an RAF base and damaged two military aircraft earlier this year. Under the law, support can carry a sentence of up to 14 years in prison.
The protest itself exposed the political and legal tension around the proscription. Organisers from Defend Our Juries said the crowd was "peacefully defying the ban" and accused the Met of making false claims about violence. In their account, officers had assaulted peaceful protesters, including elderly demonstrators, while attempting to arrest people holding cardboard signs.
The Met took a different view. Deputy assistant commissioner Claire Smart said the violence encountered during the policing operation was coordinated by a group of masked individuals intent on creating disorder. The force also said many of those arrested refused to give details or had previously been on bail, which meant they were taken into custody rather than released at the scene.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, who had just taken office in a reshuffle on Friday, said supporting Palestine was not the same as supporting a proscribed terrorist group. The Home Office said she backed officers for making arrests during her visit to the Met's control room. Her comments signalled continuity with the government's hard line on the issue.
The protest also sits within a wider legal battle over the ban. Earlier this week, the Home Office was given permission to challenge a ruling allowing Palestine Action to appeal its proscription. The group's co-founder, Huda Ammori, won permission to appeal in July, arguing the ban breached free speech rights.
The issue has become a test of how far anti-terror powers can be used against direct action politics. Police say the tactics at the protest were meant to overwhelm the justice system and tie up significant resources that would otherwise be used in neighbourhood policing. Protest organisers say the enforcement itself proves the ban is unworkable.
With the legal challenge continuing and police promising further action, Saturday's arrests are likely to remain central to the argument over whether the ban is a necessary security measure or an overreach that criminalises political expression.
