Police say the number of people arrested at a rally opposing the ban on Palestine Action has climbed to 890, marking one of the largest mass arrests the country has seen in recent years. The protest, which began early Saturday, drew thousands of demonstrators into the capital, with marchers carrying banners and chanting against the government’s move to outlaw the activist network. Palestine Action has gained notoriety in recent years for staging direct actions against companies it accuses of profiting from the arms trade.
Authorities mounted a strong police presence across key areas of the city. Officers moved in to disperse crowds, citing serious public order concerns and unauthorized assembly. The scale of arrests has sparked criticism from civil rights advocates, who argue that the crackdown represents an erosion of the right to protest. Legal observers monitoring the rally described the response as “alarming” and warned that it could set a dangerous precedent for freedom of expression.
Government officials, however, defended both the ban and the police’s handling of the demonstration. A Home Office spokesperson said the decision to outlaw Palestine Action was taken to ensure the rule of law and to maintain public safety, stressing that disruptive protests targeting businesses could not be tolerated.
Despite the mass detentions, organizers said their campaign will continue. In a statement released after the rally, Palestine Action supporters declared they “will not be silenced” and insisted that their fight for Palestinian freedom will press on.
The nearly 900 arrests have become a flashpoint in the wider debate over how far authorities should go in curbing protest movements. Human rights lawyers are preparing to challenge both the government’s decision to ban the group and the legality of the arrests, setting the stage for a courtroom battle in the weeks ahead.
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