Central London became the focal point of a heated national debate on October 4, 2025, as nearly 500 people were arrested during protests supporting the proscribed group Palestine Action. The demonstrations, organized by Defend Our Juries, drew around 1,000 participants to Trafalgar Square, where a silent vigil was held in defiance of a government ban enacted in July. The Metropolitan Police reported that 492 arrests were made, with 488 for supporting a proscribed organization—an offence under the UK’s anti-terrorism legislation—while the remaining four were held for unrelated public order offences.
The protests unfolded just days after a deadly attack at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Manchester claimed the lives of two Jewish men and left three others injured. The timing of the demonstrations, so soon after the tragedy, ignited strong reactions from political leaders, law enforcement, human rights organizations, and community groups.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was among those urging restraint, writing in The Jewish Chronicle and The Jewish News: "I urge anyone thinking about protesting this weekend to recognise and respect the grief of British Jews this week. This is a moment of mourning. It is not a time to stoke tension and cause further pain." Scotland Yard chief Sir Mark Rowley echoed these concerns, warning that the rallies would "likely create further tensions and some might say lack sensitivity" in the wake of the attack.
Despite these appeals, Defend Our Juries pressed ahead, insisting that the right to protest was paramount. As human rights campaigner Sir Jonathon Porritt told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, "I have no doubt whatsoever that everyone taking part in the Defend Our Juries silent vigil today will demonstrate huge respect and real grief for those affected by the absolute atrocity at Heaton Park. But I don’t think that means that we should be asked to give up on our right to stand up for those who are being devastated by an ongoing, real-time genocide in Gaza."
During the vigil, the names of Palestinian children killed in the Israel-Hamas conflict were read aloud—a poignant gesture that underscored the protesters’ dual focus on both recent local tragedy and the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Among those arrested was 79-year-old Elizabeth Morley, a Jewish woman and daughter of a Holocaust survivor, as well as a vicar who had been sitting with her eyes closed, holding a poster stating, "I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action." The Metropolitan Police said many of those arrested refused to walk and had to be carried out of the square, a task that required a minimum of five officers per individual to ensure safety. By 10 p.m., 297 people remained in custody, with the rest bailed.
The scale of the police operation was significant, with 1,500 officers deployed to Trafalgar Square. Paula Dodds, chair of the Metropolitan Police Federation, described the toll on law enforcement: "There aren’t enough of us. Hard-working police officers are continually having days off cancelled, working longer shifts and being moved from other areas to facilitate these protests. Our concentration should be on keeping people safe at a time when the country is on heightened alert from a terrorist attack. We are emotionally and physically exhausted. What are politicians and senior police officers going to do about it?"
The government’s decision to proscribe Palestine Action earlier in July came after activists broke into an RAF base and damaged two military aircraft. Since the ban, hundreds have been arrested at various protests for showing support for the group. Saturday’s demonstration was considered the largest act of defiance against the ban to date, with organizers estimating an attendance of between 700 and 1,000 people.
Not all voices were critical of the protests. Amnesty International UK sharply condemned the arrests. Kerry Moscogiuri, director of campaigns, stated: "Arresting hundreds of people for peacefully sitting down and holding these signs is not the job of police. These arrests are in breach of the UK’s international human rights obligations and should not be happening." Greenpeace UK also weighed in, with co-executive director Areeba Hamid calling the arrests a "waste of police time" and urging a judicial review of the group’s proscription.
In Manchester, a similar protest organized by Greater Manchester Friends of Palestine drew about 100 participants outside Manchester Cathedral. The event marked "two years of genocide in Gaza," according to organizers, though Israel has consistently denied that its actions in Gaza amount to genocide. The world’s leading association of genocide scholars, however, recently asserted that the country’s conduct meets the legal definition as laid out in the UN convention on genocide.
Counter-protests and heightened security were also visible. In Manchester, counter-protesters marched ahead of the pro-Palestinian group, brandishing a flag with an anti-Hamas message and chanting for the release of hostages. Police forces across the country deployed extra officers to synagogues and Jewish community buildings to provide reassurance in the aftermath of the Manchester attack, with hundreds of additional officers stationed in Manchester alone.
The events have drawn a range of responses from political figures. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp advocated for stronger powers to prevent pro-Palestine marches, arguing that "allowing antisemitism any space at all" can lead to attacks like the one in Manchester. Meanwhile, Labour MP Richard Burgon described the arrests of peaceful protesters as "an absurd situation" and criticized the decision to designate Palestine Action as a terror organization as "wholly disproportionate." Lord Walney, the government’s former adviser on political violence, called the protests "a callous insult to thousands of grieving Jews" and warned they might prove "a major tactical blunder for their campaign."
Community leaders, too, expressed concern. Dave Rich, director of policy at the Community Security Trust, told BBC Radio 4: "I think it’s phenomenally tone deaf, to say the least, for so many people who claim to care about human rights and care about freedoms, to be taking police resources away from protecting the rights and freedoms of Jewish people to live their lives and go to synagogue in safety, all to support a proscribed terrorist organisation, which is not the same thing as supporting the Palestinians."
As the legal and moral arguments play out, the courts will ultimately weigh in on the legitimacy of the ban on Palestine Action, with the group having secured permission to challenge its proscription. For now, the events in London and Manchester have highlighted the deep divisions—and the high stakes—surrounding protest, security, and freedom of expression in the UK.
In the aftermath of a week marked by tragedy and protest, the nation is left grappling with tough questions about how to balance public order, the right to dissent, and the urgent need for community healing.
