British police have arrested hundreds of people during a mass vigil in central London, organized to protest the banning of the activist group Palestine Action.
More than 1,000 protesters gathered in Trafalgar Square on Saturday, many of them holding banners reading: "I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action."
According to London's Metropolitan Police, 212 people have been arrested on suspicion of expressing support for a banned organisation. The ages of those arrested range from 27 to 82.
Footage from the protest showed police forcibly removing many participants. At one point, an elderly woman with a cane was even escorted away by officers.
The protest was organized by the British activist group Defend Our Juries, which called on the British government to lift the ban on Palestine Action and drop charges against those arrested under the Terrorism Act.
Palestine Action is an activist group that says it aims to end Britain's involvement in Israel's treatment of Palestinians. The group has claimed responsibility for several direct actions, including entering a Royal Air Force (RAF) base and vandalizing a London business it claimed had links to arms manufacturers for Israel.
The UK government declared Palestine Action a “terrorist organisation” in July 2025, putting it in the same category as armed groups such as Al-Qaeda and Hezbollah. Under British law, membership in or expression of support for such an organisation is punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
However, on February 13, London's High Court ruled that the group's detention was unlawful and disproportionate, deeming it a violation of freedom of expression.
Police had initially signaled that they would not arrest people expressing support for the group after this decision, but on March 25th announced that they would resume arrests, a decision that critics say contradicts the court's ruling.
According to organizers, about 1,500 people attended Saturday's vigil in London. Meanwhile, the British government's appeal against the Supreme Court's decision is expected to be heard by the Court of Appeal on April 28 and 29.
