Met Police confirmed 532 arrests at central London protest over Palestine Action ban

The Big Picture

London’s Metropolitan Police confirmed hundreds of arrests after demonstrators gathered in and around Parliament Square to oppose the government’s decision to ban Palestine Action. In an update published Sunday, the Met said 532 people were detained, marking one of the largest mass arrest operations in recent years. The force said 522 of those arrests related to alleged support for a proscribed organization via placards, contrary to Section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

What’s New

Police reported that 263 of those arrested were male, 261 were female, and eight identified as non-binary or did not disclose a gender. The average age of those arrested was 54. Officers said 30 of the people arrested on Saturday had also been arrested at recent London protests involving Palestine Action. Detainees were processed through two prisoner handling hubs in Westminster: 320 were dealt with at these points, while 212 were transported to Met custody suites. As of 13:00 on Sunday, 18 remained in custody, with most others released on bail to attend a police station at a future date and with conditions not to attend related demonstrations, the force said.

What They’re Saying

Images and videos circulating on social media showed signs reading “I oppose genocide” and crowds chanting in Parliament Square. The Met said that, given the scale of arrests, it was “entirely unrealistic” to expect officers to recognize individuals who later returned to the area after being bailed; the force added it was confident those individuals did not rejoin groups displaying placards that would breach Section 13.

Context

Members of Parliament voted in early July to proscribe Palestine Action following a series of actions the government said met the threshold under the Terrorism Act 2000. The Home Office announced days earlier that the group would be banned alongside other organizations under the proscription framework, which criminalizes display of support such as flags, badges, or placards. The Met noted that charging decisions under terrorism legislation can require approval from the Crown Prosecution Service and, in some cases, the Attorney General.

What’s Next

Over the coming days and weeks, detectives from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command will compile case files for potential charges arising from Saturday’s arrests. The force said 26 files related to earlier arrests in July were already due for submission to prosecutors, with more expected from later demonstrations. Those released on bail after Saturday’s operation were given conditions not to attend future demonstrations connected to Palestine Action while inquiries continue.

The Bottom Line

The Met’s confirmation of 532 arrests underscores how the proscription of Palestine Action has rapidly reshaped protest policing in London. With terrorism laws now engaged, the legal stakes for demonstrators are significantly higher—and the next phase will hinge on charging decisions and court tests of how far Section 13 reaches into public expressions at political rallies.

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