On a brisk Saturday in central London, hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Trafalgar Square, their voices raised in protest against what they see as an unjust ban. Just two days after a deadly attack at a synagogue in Manchester, the city’s atmosphere was tense, the air thick with grief, anger, and the unmistakable sound of resistance. The demonstration, organized by Defend Our Juries, was in direct response to the British government’s recent decision to proscribe the pro-Palestinian group Palestine Action under anti-terrorism laws, a move that has sharply divided public opinion and drawn international attention.
According to Reuters, the protest went ahead despite urgent requests from both the police and government to call it off in the wake of the Manchester tragedy. On October 2, two people were killed at the synagogue by an assailant—a British man of Syrian descent—who was then shot dead by police. Counter-terrorism authorities suggested the attacker may have been inspired by extremist Islamist ideology, further heightening anxieties across religious communities in Britain.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, seeking to calm the nation and stave off further unrest, took to X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday morning with a plea: "I urge anyone thinking about protesting this weekend to recognise and respect the grief of British Jews. This is a moment of mourning. It is not a time to stoke tension and cause further pain. It is a time to stand together." His words, reported by Reuters, echoed throughout the day, a reminder of the delicate balance between the right to protest and the need for communal healing.
Yet, the organizers of the demonstration were resolute. They had announced the protest before the Manchester attack, and they refused to cancel. Their cause: to denounce the government’s ban on Palestine Action, which was enacted in July after members of the group broke into a military airbase and damaged planes. For many in attendance, the demonstration was about more than just Palestine Action—it was a stand for civil liberties and the right to dissent.
As police moved in to arrest dozens of protesters for displaying slogans and placards supporting the banned group, the atmosphere in Trafalgar Square grew charged. Those arrested did not resist; instead, they were cheered and applauded by the crowd as officers carried them away. Onlookers chanted "shame on you" at police, a public rebuke of what they saw as an overreach of authority. Angie Zelter, one of the protesters, voiced her frustration: "I'm disgusted by the police actually, they shouldn't be arresting non-violent protesters here. We have a right to protest and Palestine Action is not a violent organisation, should never have been proscribed in the first place." Her words, quoted by Reuters, captured the sentiment of many gathered that day.
Elsewhere, six individuals were arrested after unfurling a Palestine Action banner on Westminster Bridge, in full view of the Houses of Parliament. The demonstration was just the latest in a series of protests since the ban was imposed, with hundreds already arrested for defying the law that makes it an offense to show support for Palestine Action. The sheer persistence of these rallies points to a deep well of anger and conviction among activists, many of whom see the government’s actions as an attack on free expression.
Police officials, for their part, expressed concern that the protests were stretching their resources thin—resources that, in their view, were needed elsewhere. Following the Manchester attack, security had already been tightened around synagogues and mosques across the country. Saturday’s protest, they argued, diverted attention from these critical efforts to protect vulnerable communities. The tension between public safety and civil rights has rarely felt so acute.
Defend Our Juries, the group behind the demonstration, made clear their position. They condemned the attack on the Jewish community in Manchester and called on police to focus on addressing such violence, rather than policing non-violent protest. Their message was unequivocal: the fight for justice and safety should not come at the expense of fundamental rights.
The backdrop to these events is a Britain still reeling from a summer marked by a surge in both antisemitic and Islamophobic hate incidents. Pro-Palestinian marchers have taken to the streets repeatedly to denounce Israel’s actions in Gaza, drawing criticism and concern from segments of the Jewish community. Jewish and Muslim communities alike have voiced fears for their safety, as the cycle of violence abroad reverberates at home.
The international context is impossible to ignore. Israel has been at war with Hamas in Gaza since the militant group’s attack on Israel two years ago. The conflict has sparked global protests, diplomatic tensions, and, most recently, calls for restraint from unexpected quarters. U.S. President Donald Trump, for instance, has urged Israel to halt its bombardment after Hamas indicated a willingness to release hostages and agreed to some aspects of a ceasefire plan. As reported by Reuters, these developments have added another layer of complexity to an already volatile situation.
This latest protest in London is emblematic of a broader struggle playing out across democracies worldwide: how to balance national security with the rights of citizens to speak out, assemble, and challenge government policy. For the British government, the decision to ban Palestine Action was rooted in concerns about public safety, especially after the group’s high-profile actions targeting military infrastructure. For activists and their supporters, however, the ban represents a dangerous slide toward authoritarianism, where dissent is criminalized and the boundaries of acceptable protest are ever-shrinking.
As the crowd in Trafalgar Square eventually dispersed, the questions lingered. How can a society ensure the safety of its citizens without undermining the very freedoms it purports to protect? Is it possible to honor the grief of one community while defending the rights of another to protest perceived injustice? The events of October 4, 2025, suggest that these are not easy questions—and that, for now, Britain remains a nation searching for answers.
For many protesters, the day’s arrests were not a defeat but a rallying cry. Their cheers for those detained, their chants against police action, and their refusal to back down all point to a movement that, whatever its legal status, is unlikely to fade quietly into the background. The struggle over Palestine Action, and the broader battle for the right to protest, is far from over.
The events in London serve as a stark reminder that, even in times of mourning and heightened fear, the debate over civil liberties and security remains as urgent—and unresolved—as ever.