Arrests come days after force announced U-turn, saying that despite High Court ruling, ‘terror’ ban remains in place.
London’s Metropolitan Police have arrested 18 supporters of Palestine Action, days after the force promised to resume arrests in a reversal of policy.
The protesters had sat on the steps of New Scotland Yard, the Met’s headquarters, on Saturday, holding signs that read: “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.”
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Officers made the arrests under “terrorism” legislation.
Following the High Court’s ruling in February that banning Palestine Action as a “terrorist group” was unlawful, the force had said it would adopt a “proportionate approach” and stop arresting the group’s supporters and focus instead on gathering evidence.
But on Wednesday, Deputy Assistant Commissioner James Harman said that since any “impact of that judgement will not take effect until the government’s appeal has been considered, which could take many months”, it would resume arrests. “We must enforce the law as it is at the time, not as it might be at a future date,” he said.
As she was led away by two officers on Saturday, one woman, in footage posted to social media, can be heard saying: “I’m being arrested for holding a cardboard sign, whereas our government feels the need to sell weapons and use our airbases to commit genocide in Palestine.”
Critics say the Met’s U-turn defies the court ruling.
Palestine Action is a direct action campaign group which has targeted weapons manufacturers linked to Israel and an RAF base.
The government proscribed it as a “terrorist organisation” in July 2025, placing it alongside groups including al-Qaeda and Hezbollah. The High Court called the move “disproportionate” and in breach of freedom of expression.
The government was granted a stay pending an appeal, meaning the ban technically remains in force.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, who said she would fight the High Court ruling in the Court of Appeal, said in February that supporting Palestine Action was not the same as supporting the Palestinian cause.
Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring has since ordered that hundreds of related prosecutions be paused until after that appeal is heard.
Nearly 3,000 people have been arrested for holding signs in support of the group, contributing to a 660 percent rise in UK “terrorism” arrests in the year to September 2025, Defend Our Juries said.
On the day of the High Court ruling, about 150 people held the same placards outside the court and not a single person was arrested.
The scale of the crackdown has drawn sharp international criticism, including from the UN.
When the ban was first imposed, UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk said it appeared “disproportionate and unnecessary”, warning it risked criminalising the legitimate exercise of free expression.
In January, US Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers told the news platform Semafor that “censoring that speech does more harm than good”.
Amnesty International, which intervened in the court case, said thousands had been “arrested for something that should never have been a crime.”
Eight activists linked to the group staged a lengthy hunger strike in prison, with four held on remand for 15 months before being bailed in February. Four others remain imprisoned.
Earlier this week, Al Jazeera reported that released detainees are now pursuing legal action against the prisons over alleged mistreatment.
Defend Our Juries has called a mass sign-holding event, titled Everyone Day, at Trafalgar Square on April 11, as the government’s appeal heads to court.
Saturday’s arrests took place as the rest of the city was filled with demonstrators who came out to march against the far right.
Facts Only
The Metropolitan Police arrested 18 Palestine Action supporters on Saturday outside New Scotland Yard in London.
Protesters held signs reading “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.”
Arrests were made under terrorism legislation.
The High Court ruled in February 2025 that proscribing Palestine Action as a terrorist group was unlawful and disproportionate.
The Metropolitan Police initially adopted a “proportionate approach” after the ruling, halting arrests and focusing on evidence gathering.
On Wednesday, Deputy Assistant Commissioner James Harman announced the force would resume arrests, citing the pending government appeal.
The government proscribed Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation in July 2025.
The High Court’s ruling is stayed pending appeal, meaning the ban remains in effect.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood stated she would challenge the High Court ruling in the Court of Appeal.
Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring paused hundreds of related prosecutions until the appeal is heard.
Nearly 3,000 people have been arrested for holding signs supporting Palestine Action.
UK terrorism arrests rose 660% in the year to September 2025, according to Defend Our Juries.
The UN and Amnesty International have criticized the crackdown as disproportionate and a threat to free expression.
Eight Palestine Action-linked activists staged a hunger strike in prison; four were held for 15 months before being bailed in February.
A mass sign-holding event, "Everyone Day," is planned for April 11 in Trafalgar Square.
Executive Summary
London’s Metropolitan Police have arrested 18 supporters of Palestine Action, reversing a previous policy shift announced just days earlier. The arrests occurred on Saturday outside New Scotland Yard, where protesters held signs declaring opposition to genocide and support for the group. The Met had initially paused arrests following a February High Court ruling that deemed the government’s proscription of Palestine Action as a "terrorist organisation" unlawful and disproportionate. However, Deputy Assistant Commissioner James Harman stated that the ban remains in effect pending a government appeal, justifying the resumption of arrests under terrorism legislation.
The High Court’s decision criticized the proscription as a breach of freedom of expression, but the government secured a stay, allowing the ban to persist temporarily. Nearly 3,000 people have been arrested for displaying support for Palestine Action, contributing to a 660% surge in UK terrorism-related arrests. Critics, including the UN and Amnesty International, argue the crackdown stifles legitimate dissent. Meanwhile, Palestine Action, known for targeting weapons manufacturers linked to Israel, remains a polarizing figure in debates over protest rights and national security. The government’s appeal is set to proceed, with legal challenges and public demonstrations, such as the planned "Everyone Day" event in Trafalgar Square, reflecting ongoing tensions.
Full Take
The strongest version of this narrative highlights a tension between state security measures and civil liberties, framed by a High Court ruling that undermined the government’s proscription of Palestine Action. The Met’s reversal—justifying arrests under a technically active ban despite judicial criticism—exposes a legal and ethical gray zone where enforcement outpaces judicial resolution. The scale of arrests (nearly 3,000 for sign-holding) and the 660% spike in terrorism charges suggest a systemic overreach, amplified by international condemnation from the UN and Amnesty. The government’s insistence on appealing the ruling, coupled with the Home Secretary’s distinction between supporting Palestine Action and the Palestinian cause, reveals a strategic effort to isolate the group while avoiding broader backlash.
Patterns detected: **ARC-0024 Ambiguity** (exploiting legal limbo to justify continued arrests), **ARC-0043 Motte-and-Bailey** (conflating protest with terrorism while retreating to procedural technicalities when challenged). The root cause lies in the securitization of dissent, where counterterrorism frameworks are weaponized against nonviolent activism. This echoes historical patterns of criminalizing political opposition under the guise of national security, from the UK’s past treatment of Irish republican groups to modern surveillance of climate activists. The implications are stark: chilling effects on free expression, normalized over-policing, and the erosion of judicial authority when executive branches exploit appeals to prolong restrictive measures.
Who benefits? The government maintains a tool to suppress disruptive but nonviolent protest, while arms manufacturers linked to Israel face less scrutiny. Who bears the cost? Activists, legal defendants, and the principle of proportional policing. Second-order consequences include normalized legal ambiguity as a control tactic and the potential for mission drift in counterterrorism laws. Bridge questions: How might this case reshape the threshold for labeling groups "terrorist"? What safeguards could prevent judicial rulings from being rendered moot by procedural delays? If the appeal fails, will the Met retroactively drop charges, or will the damage to trust in policing persist?
Counterstrike scan: A coordinated influence campaign would exploit the emotional weight of genocide allegations to polarize audiences, framing the Met’s actions as either heroic counterterrorism or authoritarian overreach. It might flood discourse with selective outrage (e.g., focusing on arrests while ignoring Palestine Action’s tactics) or use legal ambiguity to sow distrust in institutions. The actual content aligns partially—highlighting arrests and UN criticism—but avoids the hyperbolic framing typical of such campaigns. The focus on procedural details and multiple perspectives (e.g., Met’s justification, activist quotes, international reactions) suggests journalistic balance rather than manipulative intent.