425 Arrested at London Palestine Action Rally; Police Condemn Violence

London, Sept 7: The Metropolitan Police on Sunday denounced the violence and abuse faced by its officers during a protest in London against the UK government’s ban on Palestine Action, a group now listed as a proscribed terrorist organisation.

More than 425 people were arrested at the demonstration in Parliament Square on Saturday, where protesters held placards like “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action” amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.

Police said while most arrests were related to supporting a banned organisation under the Terrorism Act, several demonstrators were also held for assaulting officers and other public order offences.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Claire Smart, who led the operation, said officers were “punched, kicked, spat on and had objects thrown at them” while making arrests. Calling the abuse “intolerable,” she added that such violence drains resources and affects neighbourhood policing.

The Met deployed over 2,500 officers across London to manage Saturday’s protests. While the Palestine Coalition march with nearly 20,000 participants remained mostly peaceful, the rally organised by Defend Our Juries in support of Palestine Action turned violent. Over 25 protesters were specifically arrested for attacking officers.

Palestine Action was formally banned in July by then Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, making membership or support punishable with up to 14 years in prison. The group’s supporters, however, insist their protest was peaceful. A spokesperson for Defend Our Juries dismissed police claims as “astonishing” and urged new Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to revoke the ban.

Meanwhile, in Edinburgh, Police Scotland confirmed two arrests at a smaller pro-Palestine Action protest.