Dozens arrested at London protest against Palestine Action ban

The demonstration brought supporters of Palestine Action to the embassy as they opposed the organisation’s proscription by the UK government. Sky News and The New Indian Express reported that dozens of people were arrested for expressing support for the group. The available reporting does not give a precise arrest total.

Accounts also differ over the size of the gathering. The Guardian reported that more than 100 people assembled outside the embassy in Battersea, south London, while Al Jazeera described the crowd as numbering in the hundreds. The Guardian reported that demonstrators held signs reading: “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action.”

The arrests began during the protest, according to the supplied reports, and were linked to expressions of support for Palestine Action, which the sources describe as proscribed. The reporting therefore establishes the arrests and their stated connection to support for the organisation, but not the precise number detained or the outcome of any cases.

The Guardian also reported that a Metropolitan Police commander alleged demonstrators were “essentially meeting to purposefully commit a crime.” That allegation is attributed to the commander; the supplied material does not provide further details about the alleged offence or any related charges.