On Saturday, UK police arrested at least 200 people at a Palestine Action protest in London’s Parliament Square.
The arrests followed the government’s July ban on the activist group, which critics argue is designed to suppress pro-Palestine demonstrations and curb dissent against Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.
The ban, enacted under the Terrorism Act 2000, criminalizes membership in or support for Palestine Action, with penalties of up to 14 years in prison.
Demonstrators, undeterred by the threat of arrest, held signs reading “I support Palestine Action” and denounced the ban as an attack on free speech.
Amnesty International UK has criticized the arrests, stating that detaining peaceful protesters for holding signs violates international human rights obligations.
More than 350 global academics, including Ilan Pappe and Judith Butler, signed an open letter condemning the ban, warning of its chilling effect on free speech and academic freedom.
The letter described a “growing campaign of collective defiance” against the UK’s decision, which was spurred by Palestine Action’s June action at RAF Brize Norton, where activists damaged aircraft allegedly used to support Israel’s ongoing genocide.
The group claims these planes facilitate Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, which has at least killed 61,369 people and wounded 152,850 since October 2023.
Palestine Action accuses the UK government of complicity in Israel’s war crimes through its support for Israel-linked companies and military operations.
A separate Palestine Coalition march in London saw one arrest for displaying a pro-Palestine Action banner, underscoring the crackdown’s breadth.
UN human rights chief Volker Turk called the ban “disproportionate and unnecessary,” urging its reversal, while a High Court ruling granted Palestine Action a judicial review to challenge the proscription.
The mass arrests, which some activists view as a “badge of honour,” are straining an already overburdened UK prison system, raising questions about the ban’s sustainability.