The Metropolitan Police on Saturday arrested dozens of anti-Israel protesters who gathered outside the U.S. embassy in southwest London, the Independent reported.
Ahead of the protest, the Met warned that anyone planning to attend the demonstration in support of outlawed Palestine Action group would face arrest as part of a “robust policing operation.”
Police officers were dispatched to the area after the Defend Our Juries NGO announced plans to show up in front of the embassy in support of Palestine Action. British lawmakers designated Palestine Action as a terrorist organization after its followers vandalized two aircraft at a Royal Air Force base on June 20, 2025.
“All those intending on coming to this event know that supporting a proscribed organisation is unlawful—they are essentially meeting to purposefully commit a crime,” Met Police Commander Adam Slonecki said in a statement.
“The public would rightly expect us to be proactive and not just standby and wait for offences to be committed,” he continued.
He stressed that not only those who hold up placards would be detained, but “anyone officers consider to be playing a key role in organising the event, giving instructions to others and/or providing logistical support will very likely be committing an offence and face enforcement action.”
Hundreds of protesters were seen in footage hoisting Palestinian flags and banners, according to the Independent.
As of Saturday evening, the police have detained 48 people, per the report.
ARRESTS CONTINUE
— Defend Our Juries (@DefendOurJuries) October 31, 2026
Pensioners continue to be carried off by the police as hundreds are sat in defiance against the Trumpian ban on Palestine Action.
The Met's overzealous response today exposes how far authorities in the UK will go to appease the US. pic.twitter.com/f3hh6f8RxJ
Organizers stated they are targeting the embassy because U.S. President Donald Trump “pushed the U.K. government to proscribe Palestine Action in early 2025.”
Before the demonstration, the embassy warned U.S. citizens in the city to “avoid demonstrations and exercise caution if inadvertently near a demonstration.”
Defend Our Juries is an activist NGO whose goal is to appeal to juries to acquit defendants who have broken the law in activities “to advance climate or racial justice, or to stop genocide in Gaza,” according to its website.
In a press release on Saturday, it wrote that it expects “hundreds [of] more arrests under the Terrorism Act” to follow.
The NGO further stated that before today’s protest, 3,919 people have been arrested since the ban on Palestine Action came into effect in July 2025.
Expressing support for the banned group is an offense under the United Kingdom’s Terrorism Act following its proscription in June 2025, a decision upheld by the Court of Appeal in June 2026.
Palestine Action said it had targeted and damaged the planes at the Royal Air Force base because they were used to support what it called Israel’s “genocide” in the Gaza Strip. The U.K. government has denied that the aircraft were involved in operations in Gaza. It has previously stated that Shadow R1 reconnaissance planes have been flown from Cyprus to assist in efforts to locate Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
The Terrorism Act 2000 makes it a criminal offense to belong to a proscribed group, with a penalty of up to 14 years in prison or a fine. Wearing clothing or displaying items supporting such a group could result in six months in prison and/or a fine of up to £5,000 (~$6,700).
