London police arrest 48 in protest supporting proscribed Palestine Action

London Metropolitan Police arrested 48 people on Saturday during a demonstration outside the U.S. Embassy.

Officers cited support for Palestine Action, a group the U.K. government banned as a terrorist organization last year, as the primary reason for the detentions.

More than 100 individuals participated in the event. Many held signs stating, "I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action." Chants of "free, free Palestine" rose from the crowd as police moved detainees into vans.

The ban makes membership or public support for the group a criminal offense. Convictions carry a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.

A separate vigil took place outside the U.S. Consulate in Edinburgh, Scotland. Demonstrators there carried similar placards. Police Scotland reported no arrests at that location but said they were reviewing evidence to identify people wearing T-shirts or holding banners that showed support for the proscribed group.

The U.K. government designated Palestine Action a terrorist group in 2025. The U.S. government followed suit in August with its own sanctions and designation.

An appeal against the U.K. ban is scheduled for the Supreme Court on Nov. 4. Supporters argue the designation violates freedom of speech. The group, founded in 2020, seeks to halt U.K. military support for Israel by disrupting companies it identifies as enablers of the Israeli military-industrial complex.

Activists have targeted specific infrastructure in recent years. In 2024, they broke into an Elbit Systems UK factory and damaged equipment with sledgehammers and crowbars. In June 2025, they entered a Royal Air Force base, sprayed red paint into the engines of two tanker planes, and caused further damage with crowbars.