On a tense Saturday in August 2025, the United Kingdom found itself at a crossroads, confronted by a surge of protests that spanned from the heart of Westminster to the doors of hotels housing asylum seekers in towns and cities across the country. The day’s events were marked by a collision of deeply held beliefs: the right to protest, anxieties over public safety, and the boundaries of state power in a time of political and social upheaval.
In London, a remarkable display of civil disobedience unfolded outside Parliament. At least 500 people gathered for the “lift the ban” protest, a silent demonstration in support of Palestine Action, the activist group recently proscribed as a terrorist organization by the UK Parliament. Many of those present were not the stereotypical image of radicals. Among them stood Deborah Hinton, an 81-year-old former magistrate honored by the late Queen Elizabeth II for her service to the community. Hinton, who spends her retirement supporting local charities and walking the cliffs of her quiet town in southwest England, had been arrested for the first time in her life just weeks earlier. She spent seven hours in a police cell, was fingerprinted, and had a DNA swab taken from her mouth. The ordeal left her, in her own words, “in a state of trauma” and “shaking uncontrollably.”
Hinton is one of more than 200 Britons who have been detained in recent months for peacefully protesting the war in Gaza and expressing support for Palestine Action. The government’s decision to label the group as a terrorist organization has upended the lives of many, including retired school principal Jon Farley, who was arrested for silently holding a satirical cartoon, and 83-year-old Rev Sue Parfitt, detained while sitting outside Parliament in a camping chair with a pro-Palestinian sign. The designation puts Palestine Action on par with groups like Islamic State and al-Qaida, and makes supporting, fundraising for, or even sharing the group’s social media posts a criminal offense. Membership or inviting support for the group now carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.
The government’s move was prompted by a series of high-profile incidents. In July, five people appeared in court charged with aggravated burglary, criminal damage, and violent disorder after allegedly targeting Horizon, a British subsidiary of Israeli defense company Elbit Systems. Prosecutors argued these offenses had a “terrorist connection.” In March, Palestine Action supporters allegedly vandalized Donald Trump’s golf resort in Turnberry, Scotland, painting pro-Palestinian messages and digging up part of the course. The most dramatic episode came in June, when activists reportedly caused £7 million ($9.5 million) in damage to two Royal Air Force planes at a military base, using red paint and crowbars. The group released video footage, claiming the UK was “an active participant in the Gaza genocide and war crimes across the Middle East.”
Yvette Cooper, the senior minister responsible for national security, defended the ban: “Those who seek to support this group may yet not know the true nature of the organization. But people should be under no illusion – this is not a peaceful or non-violent protest group.” She emphasized that the prohibition “only applies to the specific and narrow organization, Palestine Action,” and does not affect the broader right to protest about Palestinian rights. Still, the move has sparked fierce resistance. The UN’s human rights chief, Volker Türk, called it contrary to international law. Amnesty International, over 300 prominent British Jews, and dozens of global scholars, including Naomi Klein and Angela Davis, joined in criticizing the ban as “illegitimate and unethical.”
Palestine Action is set to challenge the ban in court in November, represented by Gareth Pierce, a renowned human rights lawyer. Supporters believe that if the ban is overturned, those detained could sue for wrongful arrest. Despite the high-profile arrests, only 10 of the 221 people detained in the past five weeks have been charged with any offense, according to counter-terrorism police.
Among those planning to join the Westminster protest was Alice Clack, a senior NHS obstetrician, climate activist, and Doctors Without Borders volunteer. Arrested in July for holding a sign supporting Palestine Action, she may also face prosecution under anti-terrorism laws. Clack drew on her family history, saying her grandfather’s experience as a Kindertransport refugee “taught me the necessity of standing up against injustice.” She called the labeling of Palestine Action as a terrorist group “a gross abuse of state power.”
Meanwhile, in Nuneaton and other towns, a different kind of protest unfolded. Anti-migrant demonstrators and anti-racism counter-protesters converged outside hotels housing asylum seekers, following allegations of a “cover-up” related to the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl by two Afghan asylum seekers. Warwickshire County Council leader George Finch and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage publicly accused authorities of hiding details about the case, fueling anger and drawing a large crowd. Finch, the youngest council leader in the country, urged calm: “While the right to peaceful protest is a fundamental right, I am deeply concerned about the risk for these events to be hijacked by agitators who seek to cause disorder and division within our community.”
Demonstrations were also expected in Bristol, Bournemouth, Liverpool, Leicester, Birmingham, Leeds, Newark, Exeter, and Cannock. Police maintained a heavy presence, wary of violence. On Friday night, protests in Canary Wharf and Epping led to four arrests, including one for throwing a bottle at officers and another for failing to remove a face covering. In Epping, where protests have recurred since July after an asylum seeker was charged with allegedly attempting to kiss a 14-year-old girl, Essex Police reported that the latest event was largely peaceful, though one man was arrested for striking an officer and another for breaching bail conditions.
Tensions flared elsewhere as well. In Altrincham, GB News journalist Sophie Reaper was struck in the head by a metal pole while trying to interview anti-racism protesters. The incident was reported to police, and the network confirmed she was unharmed.
Stand Up To Racism, an anti-racist campaign group, called on supporters to hold “stop the far right” counter-protests in at least 10 towns and cities. The group’s presence underscored the polarization of public opinion and the potential for unrest. Authorities warned that some protests could be “hijacked by agitators,” a concern echoed by local officials who cited previous incidents of violence against police and property.
For many, the events of August 9, 2025, encapsulated the tensions roiling British society. Public opinion on the war in Gaza has shifted dramatically, with harrowing images of suffering fueling outrage and protest. At the same time, anxieties over crime, migration, and national security have driven others to the streets, sometimes in opposition to each other. The Metropolitan Police, anticipating mass arrests, noted the logistical challenge: “It will be a challenge to arrest more than 500 people given that we think there are about 520 available police cells in London at any one time.”
The day’s protests—whether in defense of civil liberties, in opposition to government policy, or in response to local crime—highlighted the UK’s ongoing struggle to balance security, justice, and the right to dissent. As hundreds took to the streets, the country watched closely, aware that the outcome of this confrontation could shape the boundaries of protest and free expression for years to come.
