London police arrest 139 protesters opposing Palestine Action ban ahead of Supreme Court appeal

Police in London arrested at least 139 people on Saturday after a rally opposing the proscription of the campaign group Palestine Action continued despite a police warning. The protest, held outside the United States embassy, coincided with a Supreme Court appeal scheduled for Wednesday that will challenge the government's decision to list the group as a terrorist organisation under United Kingdom law.

The Metropolitan Police said the majority of those detained were arrested for expressing support for the proscribed organisation. > "139 people have now been arrested," the force posted on X, adding that the number had risen from 48 earlier in the day.

Labour MP John McDonnell responded on social media, arguing that protesting the ban should not automatically be interpreted as supporting the organisation or constituting an arrestable offence, and he said the government had made the wrong decision in proscribing Palestine Action.

The demonstration was the first large-scale protest against the ban since Andy Burnham became Prime Minister in July. Similar gatherings took place outside the U.S. consulate in Edinburgh, where no arrests were reported. Demonstrators in both cities carried placards stating opposition to genocide and support for Palestine Action.

Defend Our Juries, the group that organised the protests, said the arrests brought the total number of people detained for defying the ban to more than 4,000 since the proscription was introduced in July 2025. A spokesperson described the situation as "over 4,000 arrests under terror laws for peaceful vigils expressing opposition to genocide and support for Palestine Action."

Amnesty International UK’s head of communications and campaigns, Felix Jakens, called on the government to reverse the proscription, saying the arrests represented an attack on freedom of speech and urging reforms to allow greater public demonstration rights.