On November 29, 2025, central London’s streets once again filled with the sounds of chanting, the sight of Palestinian flags waving above the crowd, and the steady drumbeat of calls for change. Marking the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, thousands of demonstrators rallied in what has now become the thirty-third such protest since October 2023, according to reporting from multiple outlets including BBC and Varsity. Their demands were clear: "Stop the Genocide," "Free Gaza," and "End the Occupation." Yet, beneath these familiar slogans, a new and contentious chapter in the UK’s protest movement was unfolding—a chapter defined by mass arrests, new legal boundaries, and a deepening divide between public sentiment and government policy.
Protests were not confined to London alone. Across England—in Bristol, Manchester, Birmingham, Norwich, and Cambridge—coordinated demonstrations were organized by the campaign group Defend Our Juries. Their stated aim, as reported by BBC, was to challenge “our Government’s complicity in genocide and against the ban on [direct action group] Palestine Action.” The government’s recent decision to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist organization under the Terrorism Act 2000, first enacted in June and coming into force in July 2025, cast a long shadow over the day’s events. The ban means that any expression of support for the group—whether through placards, social media, or even clothing—can now be prosecuted as a terrorism offence.
The legal consequences of this shift were starkly visible. In Bristol, a protest at College Green saw 31 people arrested, including prominent environmentalist and author Sir Jonathon Porritt, a former advisor to King Charles. As Bristol Live described, Porritt and others—many in their 60s and 70s—sat quietly by the ornamental water feature in front of City Hall, holding placards reading, “I oppose genocide I support Palestine Action.” Police, who had prepared for the possibility of mass arrests with 16 vans stationed nearby, moved in swiftly. Each protester was informed that supporting Palestine Action was now a criminal offence, then escorted—or, in some cases, carried—away by officers. The protest, which began at 1pm, stretched over three hours, with arrests continuing until after 4pm.
Manchester saw a similar scene unfold in St Peter’s Square. As reported by the Manchester Evening News, Greater Manchester Police arrested 28 people under the Terrorism Act 2000, with video footage capturing officers moving through the crowd and carrying away demonstrators. The protest, which drew around 200 people, was punctuated by chants of “shame on you” directed at police, as well as counter-demonstrators waving Great British flags and voicing their own views. Police emphasized their commitment to minimizing disruption, but for many in attendance, the heavy presence of law enforcement raised questions about the boundaries of free speech and peaceful protest in the UK.
Cambridge, too, became a flashpoint. Fifteen people were arrested in Market Square, where a group of mostly older protesters sat outside Guildhall with signs declaring, “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.” Supporters unfurled a “Lift the Ban” banner and waved a Cambridge for Palestine flag, while bystanders paused to observe the unfolding scene. According to Varsity, this was the first time in two years of pro-Palestine activism in Cambridge that arrests had been made. Police presence was high, and officers began making arrests about thirty minutes after the protest began, often carrying protesters away as supporters cheered and applauded. One protester, reflecting on the situation, said, “We are peaceful protesters, and we’re here standing up for our rights.”
Elsewhere in England, similar demonstrations led to further arrests: 34 in Manchester, 25 in Birmingham, and 10 in Norwich, according to BBC. In total, more than 2,200 protesters have been arrested across the UK since October 2023, a figure that underscores both the scale of the movement and the government’s increasingly hardline response. Many of those arrested were detained for carrying placards or signs expressing support for Palestine Action, now a proscribed organization. Section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000 was frequently cited as the basis for these arrests, with police reminding participants that “expressing support for a proscribed group is a criminal offence.”
The government’s rationale for proscribing Palestine Action is rooted in the group’s history of direct action. As detailed by Bristol Live, Palestine Action first drew national attention with protests against Elbit Systems in Filton, Bristol, and an incident in which members broke into RAF Brize Norton in an attempt to disrupt military flights. The Home Secretary and Parliament subsequently added the group to the list of banned organizations, alongside Hezbollah, al Qaeda, and National Action. The government argues that such measures are necessary to prevent the escalation of property damage and to protect public safety.
Yet, critics contend that the proscription constitutes an “act of authoritarian overreach.” A spokesperson for Defend Our Juries, quoted in Bristol Live, stated, “This historic wave of action has seen people of courage and conscience taking action to resist the government’s clampdown on our fundamental rights to protest and free speech.” The group is mounting a legal challenge to the ban at the Court of Appeal in London, arguing that the government has failed to demonstrate that proscription was in the public interest. “Conflating property damage with terrorism, as the Terrorism Act 2000 does, is an insult to everyone who has lost loved ones through acts of genuine terror,” the spokesperson added.
The protests and the government’s response are taking place against the backdrop of the ongoing Gaza conflict, which erupted after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and abducting 251. Israel’s subsequent military operation in Gaza has, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry, resulted in over 70,100 deaths as of late November 2025. While a ceasefire was called on October 10, the violence and humanitarian crisis continue to fuel outrage and activism around the world, including in the UK.
For many demonstrators, the issue is not just about foreign policy but about the right to protest itself. Organizers have repeatedly emphasized their commitment to peaceful demonstration, even as the risk of arrest grows. “We fully recognize people’s right to demonstrate peacefully, and many people continue to protest in support of Palestine without breaking the law,” said Chief Inspector James Littlehales of West Midlands Police, as quoted by BBC. “But we will take appropriate action where people are breaching the law by showing support for proscribed organizations.”
As the day’s events drew to a close, one thing was clear: the rift between public protest and government policy is widening, and neither side shows any sign of backing down. Whether these demonstrations will prompt changes in policy, or further restrictions on protest, remains to be seen. But for those who filled the streets of London, Manchester, Bristol, Cambridge, and beyond, the message was unmistakable—solidarity, resistance, and the right to be heard are not easily silenced.
