London police arrest 365 people as pro-Palestinian protesters defy new law

LONDON (AP) — British police said they arrested 365 people in central London on Saturday as supporters of a recently banned pro-Palestinian group intentionally broke the law as part of their effort to force the government to reconsider the ban.

In early July, Parliament passed a law banning Palestine Action and making it a crime to publicly support the organization. This came after activists stormed a Royal Air Force base and vandalized two tanker aircraft to protest British support for the Israeli offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Supporters of the group, who have held a series of protests across the UK over the past month, argue that the law unlawfully restricts free speech.

Challenging the police to arrest them

More than 500 protesters filled the square in front of Parliament on Saturday. Many defied the police with signs reading, "I oppose genocide. I support Palestinian Action." That was enough for the police to intervene.

But as the demonstration began to wind down, police and protest organizers began arguing over the number of arrests, as organizers sought to demonstrate that the law was unenforceable.

“Police have only been able to arrest a fraction of those suspected of committing terrorist offenses, and most have been granted bail and allowed to return home,” declared Defend Our Juries, the organization that organized the protest. “This is a great embarrassment to the government, further undermining the credibility of this widely derided law, enacted to punish those who expose the government's own crimes.”

London's Metropolitan Police Service responded quickly, saying this was untrue and that many of those gathered in the square were spectators, media, or people not carrying signs supporting the group.

"We are confident that anyone who came to Parliament Square today to hold a sign expressing support for Palestine Action has been arrested or is in the process of being arrested," the police force said in a statement.

On Friday, police said the demonstration was unusual because protesters wanted to be arrested in large numbers to put pressure on the police and the criminal justice system in general.

Why is the group banned?

The government decided to ban Palestinian Action after activists stormed a British airbase in southern England on June 20 to protest British military support for the war between Israel and Hamas. The activists sprayed red paint on the engines of two tanker aircraft at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and caused further damage with crowbars.

Palestine Action has previously targeted Israeli defense contractors and other sites in the UK that it believes have links to the Israeli military.

Supporters of the group are challenging the ban in court, claiming the government has gone too far in declaring Palestine Action a terrorist organization.

“Once the meaning of 'terrorism' is separated from campaigns of violence against a civilian population and expanded to include those that cause economic harm or embarrassment to the rich, the powerful, and criminals, then the right to free expression is meaningless and democracy is dead,” Defend Our Juries said on its website.

Intense weekend of protests

The arrests outside Parliament came amid what is expected to be a busy weekend of protests in London, as the war in Gaza and concerns over immigration spur protests and counterprotests across the United Kingdom.

While Prime Minister Keir Starmer has angered Israel with his plans to recognize a Palestinian state later this year, many Palestinian supporters in Britain are criticizing the government for not doing enough to end the war in Gaza.

Pro-Palestinian protesters gathered Saturday afternoon in central London for a march that ended outside the gates of 10 Downing Street, the prime minister's official residence and offices.

On Sunday, several groups will march through central London to demand the release of the Israeli hostages in Gaza. Palestinian militants have held them since Hamas-led attackers stormed Israel on October 7, 2023, killing an estimated 1,200 people and taking 251 hostage. Fifty hostages remain, 20 of whom are believed to be still alive.

Police are also preparing for protests outside hotels across the country housing asylum seekers. Protesters and counterprotesters have clashed outside the hotels in recent weeks; some claiming migrants pose a risk to their communities and others denouncing anti-immigrant racism.

Deputy Commissioner Ade Adelekan said the magnitude of the events would “put pressure” on the police department.

“These will be particularly hectic days in London, with many simultaneous protests and events requiring a significant police presence,” Adelekan said before the protests began.