The key facts
- 325 people detained outside the US Embassy in London, 320 of them for supporting a proscribed organisation under terrorism law
- The total number of arrests since July 2025 has reached 4,089, according to the BBC's count
- From Wednesday, the UK Supreme Court begins a two-day hearing of the appeal against the group's ban
Mass arrests at the US Embassy
London police reported that on Saturday, 325 participants of a rally in support of the banned group Palestine Action were detained near the US Embassy in the Nine Elms area. According to the Metropolitan Police, 320 of them were arrested for 'expressing support for a proscribed organisation' under terrorism legislation, AFP reports. The demonstrators held a 'mass action' with placards such as 'I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action'; the arrests continued into the evening, and some participants who refused to walk were carried away by police. A smaller rally took place outside the US Consulate in Edinburgh — there were no detentions at the time, but Police Scotland said it was reviewing materials and would take action against those who wore T-shirts and held banners in support of the proscribed organisation.
More than 4,000 arrests and the upcoming hearing
The rally took place days before the hearing at the UK Supreme Court: from Wednesday, the court will spend two days considering the appeal by the group's co-founder against the government's July 2025 decision to ban Palestine Action under anti-terrorism legislation. That decision placed the group on a blacklist that includes, among others, Hamas, and made membership in or support for Palestine Action a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison. The Home Office said it would 'vigorously defend' against the appeal.
The scale of the crackdown and the reaction
According to Home Office figures seen by the BBC, 3,630 arrests were made in the year up to June 2026; together with the 134 people detained at Westminster Magistrates' Court earlier this year and Saturday's arrests, the total number reaches 4,089. Defend Our Juries, the organisation coordinating the series of protests, described the situation as 'truly dystopian' and the arrests as unjust, while Amnesty International UK called on the government to lift the ban. Among those detained was 75-year-old retired lawyer Charles Allison from Cumbria, who said he feared the 'devaluation' of civil liberties and hopes the judges will rule the ban unlawful. It is worth noting that in August, the United States also added Palestine Action to its list of 'terrorist' organisations.
Image source, Press Association Some protesters were carried away by police after refusing to walk when arrested
