On Saturday, July 5, 2025, British police arrested 29 protesters in London on suspicion of terrorism offences following a demonstration in support of the Palestine Action group, which had been officially banned as a terrorist organisation just hours earlier.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed the arrests, stating that those detained were suspected of offences under the Terrorism Act 2000. The protest took place in Parliament Square, where demonstrators held placards declaring, "I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action." The group Defend Our Juries, which organised the protest, reported that among those arrested were an 83-year-old priest, Reverend Sue Parfitt, and several health professionals.
Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organisation from midnight on Saturday, July 5, 2025, after a last-minute legal challenge to delay the ban was rejected by the Court of Appeal late on Friday. This marked the first time in the UK that a non-violent, direct action group has been designated a terrorist organisation.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced the ban following an incident on June 20, 2025, when activists from Palestine Action broke into the Royal Air Force base at Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. The activists sprayed red paint on two Voyager aircraft and caused approximately £7 million ($9.4–9.55 million) in damage. Four activists were remanded in custody and charged with conspiracy to commit criminal damage and conspiracy to enter a prohibited place, with their next court appearance scheduled for July 18, 2025.
The government and Cooper characterized the damage as "disgraceful" and cited the group's "long history of unacceptable criminal damage" as justification for the ban. Parliament overwhelmingly supported the proscription, with MPs voting in favor on July 2 and the House of Lords approving the measure on July 3.
Under the Terrorism Act 2000, membership of or support for Palestine Action is now a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Even displaying the group's name on a T-shirt or badge can lead to a maximum six-month sentence. Police warned that expressing support through chanting, wearing clothing, or displaying flags or signs is also illegal.
The protest on July 5 began around 1:10 PM near the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament Square, where demonstrators carried signs expressing solidarity with Palestine Action and opposition to alleged genocide. Police swiftly responded, surrounding the group and making arrests shortly after 1:30 PM. One woman was seen lying on the ground in handcuffs before being carried to a police van. Most police officers had dispersed by 2:10 PM.
Demonstrators and onlookers voiced strong opposition to the arrests. Chanting slogans such as "Met Police you are puppets of the Zionist state," "British police off our streets," and "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free," many expressed shock and dismay at the police response. A 20-year-old bystander told Novara Media, "I voted for them and they’re now arresting people who are calling for a genocide to end. And this is a Labour government, they’re meant to have leftwing roots."
Reverend Sue Parfitt, one of those arrested, described the protest as "testing the law" and said she was not afraid of arrest. "I know that we are in the right place doing the right thing," she said. Parfitt called the proscription "total nonsense" and expressed hope that "common sense will prevail."
Palestine Action’s co-founder, Huda Ammori, is pursuing a legal challenge against the Home Office’s decision. Her lawyers sought "interim relief" to temporarily block the ban, arguing that supporters, including Irish author Sally Rooney, feared the "ramifications" of the proscription. However, three judges, including Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr, refused to pause the ban just hours before it came into effect.
Raza Husain KC, representing Ammori, described the ban as "an ill-considered, discriminatory and authoritarian abuse of statutory power." He emphasized that Palestine Action’s main target has been Elbit Systems, a company linked to the Israel Defense Forces, stating, "The aim of terrorism is to take lives and hurt people, that’s the opposite of what we do."
Critics of the ban, including civil liberties groups and some UN experts, argue that damaging property does not constitute terrorism and warn that the proscription sets a dangerous precedent. Anas Mustapha, head of public advocacy at CAGE International, condemned the move as eroding the fundamental right to protest, saying it "gives the state carte blanche to target any protest that it finds objectionable without any legal constraints." He described it as marking "the erosion of the fundamental right to protest, which has been regarded as an emblem of the democratic nature of British society."
The ban on Palestine Action places the group alongside other proscribed organisations such as al Qaeda, ISIS, Hamas, and Hezbollah, all designated under the Terrorism Act 2000. The designation criminalizes not only membership but also public expressions of support, including wearing clothing or displaying symbols associated with the group.
The events in London on July 5 highlight the tension between national security concerns and the right to peaceful protest. While the government stresses the need to address criminal damage and potential threats, activists and supporters decry what they see as an authoritarian crackdown on dissent and freedom of expression.
As the legal battle over Palestine Action’s status continues, the arrests in Parliament Square underscore the contentious atmosphere surrounding the UK’s approach to protest movements linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. With the next judicial review hearing scheduled for the week of July 21, the debate over civil liberties and security is far from over.
