Almost ۵۰ people have been arrested at the first mass demonstrations under Andy Burnham’s premiership opposing the proscription of Palestine Action.
Hundreds of people gathered outside the US embassy in Battersea, south London, holding signs that read: “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action.” Demonstrators also held a vigil in support of the group outside the US consulate in Edinburgh.
Before the London gathering, the Metropolitan police warned those taking part “that they face arrest as part of a robust policing operation” and that anyone “playing a key role in organising the event, giving instructions to others and/or providing logistical support” would probably be committing an offence.
In a statement on X, the Metropolitan police said: “So far this afternoon, officers have arrested ۴۸ people.”
Commander Adam Slonecki, who is leading the policing operation, said: “All those intending on coming to this event know that supporting a proscribed organisation is unlawful – they are essentially meeting to purposefully commit a crime.
Defend Our Juries, the group behind the demonstrations, said the Met was “terrified of facilitating US embarrassment” and estimated that “around ۴۰۰ people” gathered to take part.
Among those sitting outside the US embassy, holding a sign that appeared to express support for Palestine Action, was Sue Morhall. “The USA is complicit in most of the wars that are going on. I just feel the leaders of this world, including Trump, need to know that people are so against what’s happening in Gaza,” said the ۷۹-year-old retiree.
Morhall believes there is a chance Burnham could rescind the proscription. “I think it’s early days. I’m hopeful, though pigs might fly,” she said. “I think he’s going to perhaps wait until the midterm elections in America. It’s a terrible shame that people who are trying to stop a genocide are being arrested.”
She has been arrested “five or six” times at previous demonstrations and feels “OK” about being hauled into a police van again. “It’s the principle, and this is one that I feel very strongly about,” she said.
The Rev Bill White, ۷۲, who also held a sign that read: “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action,” said: “I’m appalled that Britain is helping facilitate the genocide that is happening in Palestine. We supply weapons that are being used on Palestinians.”
He said he had “hoped for better” from Burnham and resigned from the Labour party after Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist group.
As a faith leader, he said there was “no choice” other than to take part in the demonstration. “This is the right thing to do. There’s a bad law and it is wrong to criminalise people that are trying to prevent genocide,” he said. “How can I not be here?”
A Defend Our Juries spokesperson said: “The Met police overzealous response outside the US embassy today only serves to further expose how far authorities in the UK will go to appease American interests. Israel’s war crimes that have caused death and injury to thousands could not happen without the US’s approval.”
The protests come before an appeal at the UK supreme court against Palestine Action’s designation as a terror group on ۴ November.
Last month, more than ۱۶۰ people were arrested or reported for summons at a similar demonstration in support of Palestine Action staged outside the Labour party conference in Liverpool.
The new government has come under pressure to rescind the ban, though Shabana Mahmood, who has stood firm in favour of the group’s proscription, remained in post as home secretary.
The journalist and author Sarah Helm, the wife of the prime minister’s national security adviser, Jonathan Powell, was accused of supporting Palestine Action after posting on X: “God help us authors who support Palestine and Palestine Action.” Her post came in response to news that the Irish author Sally Rooney can no longer sell her books in the UK because of her support for the group.
During the Labour party conference, two activists confronted the foreign secretary, Ed Miliband, during a meal at Pizza Express in the city centre where he was challenged about the arrests. Video of the incident showed one of the protesters urging Miliband to declare a genocide in Gaza and de-proscribe Palestine Action.
Miliband said he was happy to discuss the issue but at another time, before the protesters were ushered out.
One woman, who held a sign that, bar swapping the word “authors” to “retirees”, replicated the X post by Sarah Helm, was among those arrested in London, despite the Met ultimately assessing that Helm’s post “did not meet the criminal threshold”.
