Pro-Palestinian demonstrators defy a new law, leading to the arrest of 365 individuals by London's law enforcement.
In the heart of London, over 365 pro-Palestinian demonstrators were arrested during a recent protest outside the Houses of Parliament. The demonstration, organised by Defend Our Juries, was a response to Britain's support for Israel's offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The activists broke into the base, a symbolic act of protest, but the Metropolitan Police Service disputes this claim, stating that many of those gathered were onlookers, media members, or people who didn't hold placards supporting the group.
The controversy surrounding the ban and subsequent arrests of Palestine Action supporters has sparked concerns that UK counter-terrorism laws are being misapplied. Critics argue that the UK’s legal definition of terrorism is overly broad, encompassing acts like property damage that do not fit international standards of terrorism, which focus on acts intended to cause death, serious injury, or hostage-taking to intimidate populations or compel governments.
The UK government banned Palestine Action on 5th July 2025, as a proscribed terrorist organization under the Terrorism Act 2000, following incidents where members broke into the RAF Brize Norton military airbase and vandalized military aircraft. The government justified the ban on anti-terrorism grounds, particularly citing the security breach and property damage as serious enough to warrant proscription.
However, human rights advocates and legal experts contest this designation as disproportionate and threatening fundamental freedoms. Amnesty International and Liberty (a UK civil liberties organization) have expressed worries that this ban could suppress freedom of speech and criminalize mere support or association with the group, including wearing clothing that suggests support. The UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk described the ban as a "disturbing misuse" of the UK’s counter-terrorism laws, emphasizing that the ban makes it a criminal offense not only to be a member but also to express support for Palestine Action or display any sign of affiliation.
Meanwhile, Defend Our Juries criticized the expansion of the definition of terrorism to include actions causing economic damage or embarrassment. As tensions between protesters and counterprotesters rise, the police are preparing for protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers. On Sunday, marches are scheduled in central London to demand the safe release of Israeli hostages in Gaza.
The upcoming protests are expected to be numerous and diverse, including protests about the war in Gaza, immigration, and asylum seekers. The police and protest organizers continue to disagree over the number of arrests made during the demonstration.
References:
[1] BBC News. (2025). Palestine Action banned as a terrorist group by UK government. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-58013132
[2] Amnesty International. (2025). UK: Ban on Palestine Action threatens freedom of expression. Retrieved from https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/07/uk-ban-on-palestine-action-threatens-freedom-of-expression/
[3] Liberty. (2025). UK government's ban on Palestine Action is a threat to human rights. Retrieved from https://www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk/news/uk-government-s-ban-on-palestine-action-is-a-threat-to-human-rights/
- In the general news, concerns are rising about the misapplication of UK counter-terrorism laws, particularly in the case of Palestine Action, a group proscribed as a terrorist organization in 2025.
- The California-based human rights organization, Amnesty International, has expressed worries that the UK's ban on Palestine Action could suppress freedom of speech and criminalize mere support or association with the group.
- An upcoming protest in central London is expected to address the war in Gaza, immigration, and asylum seekers, amidst rising tensions between protesters and counterprotesters.
- During a recent protest outside the Houses of Parliament in London, over 365 pro-Palestinian demonstrators were arrested, sparking debates about the applicability of UK law and the use of force by the government.
- Legal experts argue that the UK's broad legal definition of terrorism, which includes acts like property damage, does not align with international standards of terrorism, which focus on causing death, serious injury, or hostage-taking to intimidate populations or compel governments.
