London police arrested dozens of individuals on Saturday during a rally in the British capital for showing support for the group Palestine Action, according to a statement from the Metropolitan Police.
The vast majority of the 66 individuals detained were arrested on suspicion of expressing support for a proscribed organization, police said. The arrests come in the wake of the British government’s decision earlier this month to designate Palestine Action as a terror organization.
Police had warned demonstrators that expressing support for the organization constituted a criminal offense. According to the statement, the arrests were made after those warnings were ignored.
Officers are deployed at key points along the route as well as the form up point. There are additional officers in the vicinity of the counter protest.
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) July 19, 2025
This week we have also distributed leaflets and deployed signage as a clear reminder about relevant offences. pic.twitter.com/3qXD223K4O
Saturday’s protests took place ahead of a court hearing scheduled for Monday, during which Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori is expected to seek permission to challenge the government’s decision to ban the anti-Israel group.
The U.K. Home Office proscribed Palestine Action as a terrorist organization on July 5, following a July 1 vote in the House of Commons, where the ban passed by a margin of 385-26. The House of Lords also approved the designation, and the Court of Appeal in London rejected a legal challenge to block the ban later that same week.
The decision to ban the group came after members vandalized two Voyager refueling aircraft at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, spraying paint into the engines and causing some $9.5 million in damages.
