London police arrest 139 at protest against Palestine Action ban
Police arrested 139 people outside the US embassy in London during a demonstration against the prohibition of Palestine Action. Most arrests involved suspected support for a banned organisation. The protest came before a scheduled November 4 Supreme Court hearing, as critics challenged the way the ban is being enforced.
Geopolitics··Midday
Police give a final total of 139 arrests
London’s Metropolitan Police said 139 people were arrested at an October 31 demonstration involving Palestine Action, the organisation banned by the British authorities. Hundreds had gathered outside the United States embassy. Police said most arrests concerned suspected support for a proscribed organisation. Police had initially announced 48 arrests. Those detained were suspected of offences under the existing law; there had been no judicial finding of guilt.[1], [2]
Protest comes before the November 4 hearing
Defend Our Juries, the campaign group that called the demonstration, opposed the ban and arrests made under terrorism legislation. A hearing concerning the prohibition is scheduled at Britain’s Supreme Court for November 4. MP John McDonnell argued that demanding the ban’s removal should not automatically count as endorsing the organisation’s activities. Amnesty International campaigner Felix Jakens also called on the government to reverse the prohibition.[1]
Campaign has brought repeated arrests
Organisers said more than 4000 arrests had been made at protests against the ban since July 2025. People of different ages joined Saturday’s gathering, and footage showed police carrying some participants away. A related protest took place outside the US consulate in Edinburgh, with no arrests reported there. The London event was the first mass protest against the ban since Prime Minister Andy Burnham took office in July.[1]
