LONDON (Dispatches) — 
British authorities arrested more than 150 pro-Palestinian demonstrators during a protest outside Parliament on Saturday, as activists defied a government ban on Palestine Action, a grassroots group campaigning against British involvement in Israel’s war crimes. 
The group was officially designated a terrorist organization in July, a move widely criticized as an attempt to suppress legitimate dissent and stifle free speech.
Organized by the campaign group Defend Our Juries, the protest drew around 1,500 people, many holding signs reading “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action.” 
The demonstration remained largely peaceful, but police swiftly began arresting participants under the UK’s Terrorism Act, which criminalizes public support for banned organizations and carries penalties of up to 14 years in prison.
Eyewitnesses described tense moments as officers forcibly removed protesters who went limp in resistance, while bystanders chanted slogans such as “Shame on you” and “Met Police, pick a side, justice or genocide.” Despite the heavy police presence and arrests, hundreds of protesters remained seated in Parliament Square.
The government’s decision to proscribe Palestine Action followed a series of direct actions by the group, including an attack on Royal Air Force tanker planes with red paint at RAF Brize Norton earlier this year. Activists said these acts were aimed at exposing British military support for Israel’s ongoing atrocities in Gaza, which has resulted in thousands of Palestinian civilian casualties.
Palestine Action has also targeted military contractors such as Elbit Systems UK, a key supplier of drones and other military equipment used by Israel. These peaceful but disruptive protests highlight growing concerns about British complicity in Israeli atrocities widely condemned by human rights organizations as violations of international law.
Human rights advocates and the United Nations have raised alarm over the UK government’s proscription of the group. Volker Türk, the UN’s human rights chief, described the ban as a “misuse of the gravity and impact of terrorism,” cautioning that the move threatens the “legitimate exercise of fundamental freedoms” across the UK. According to international standards, terrorism involves acts intended to cause death or serious injury—definitions that do not fit Palestine Action’s nonviolent protests.
Huda Ammori, co-founder of Palestine Action, condemned the ban as “catastrophic” for civil liberties, warning that it would create a

 “chilling effect” on activism nationwide. The group is currently challenging the ban in the UK High Court, with a hearing scheduled for later this month.
The crackdown on Palestine Action is part of a broader pattern of intensified policing against pro-Palestinian activists in the UK. Earlier this year, over 700 people were arrested at various protests, many facing serious charges under anti-terror laws. Recent dawn raids have targeted key campaign spokespeople, including lawyers and community organizers, drawing criticism from civil liberties groups.
Supporters of Palestine Action include prominent cultural figures such as bestselling Irish author Sally Rooney, who has pledged to use proceeds from her work to back direct action against what she calls “genocide.” The campaign has also attracted international solidarity amid growing global concern over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The UK government maintains that the proscription targets only Palestine Action and does not restrict lawful pro-Palestinian or pro-Israel protests. However, activists and rights groups argue that the ban conflates peaceful dissent with violent extremism, threatening to undermine democratic freedoms.
Meanwhile, Elbit Systems UK, a focal point of Palestine Action’s protests, has reportedly closed its plant in Bristol following repeated direct action campaigns. The company is a major supplier of military technology to Israel, which has faced widespread condemnation for its military atrocities in Gaza.
Among those arrested during the recent protest was Mike Higgins, a 62-year-old disabled man who uses a wheelchair and has been repeatedly detained under terrorism charges for his peaceful activism. “And I’m a terrorist? That’s the joke of it,” he said. “I’ve already been arrested under the Terrorism Act and I suspect I will be today. Of course I’ll keep coming back. What choice do I have?”
The escalating arrests and legal pressures on Palestine Action and its supporters underscore growing tensions over the UK government’s approach to dissent on the Israeli war. Critics argue that genuine dialogue and justice require respecting free speech and peaceful protest—not criminalizing them.
As the High Court prepares to hear the group’s challenge to the ban, activists and human rights defenders will be watching closely to see whether the UK upholds democratic principles or continues to silence those calling for accountability and peace.