Met Police prepare to arrest up to 400 Palestine Action supporters at a US Embassy protest in London today
Police officers detain a person during a pro-Palestine demonstration on 7 October, as the Met confirmed it plans to arrest organisers of Saturday's rally, not merely placard carriers.
Defend Our Juries has called 400 people to gather outside the US Embassy in Battersea this afternoon carrying signs reading "I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action" — a criminal offence under the Terrorism Act since Palestine Action was proscribed in June 2025. Met Commander Adam Slonecki warned that organisers, logistical supporters and placard-holders alike all face enforcement action, saying protesters are "essentially meeting to purposefully commit a crime." A parallel protest is also planned outside the American Consulate in Edinburgh.
Organisers say more than 3,850 people have been arrested across Britain since July 2025 at similar demonstrations against the proscription.
The Met spent £1.3 million policing six Palestine-Israel public order events in June and July 2026 alone, figures released under a Freedom of Information request reveal.
Defend Our Juries says the protest is timed ahead of a Supreme Court hearing on the Palestine Action ban, listed for 4 and 5 November.
