UK Police Arrest 522 at London Protests Linked to Palestine Action

On Saturday, London police arrested 522 people, mostly in Parliament Square, for displaying placards supporting Palestine Action, recently banned under the UK’s Terrorism Act 2000. The protests opposed the ban, linked to the group’s attack on a UK air force base over Britain’s support for Israel amid the Gaza war, which has killed over 61,000. Most detainees were older adults; critics, including the UN and Amnesty, called the ban a threat to free speech. Police are preparing charges, with some already filed. Separately, protesters marched for the release of Israeli captives in Gaza, urging an immediate and unconditional end to their captivity.