London Police Arrest 27 Protesters Defying Palestine Action Ban

Under the shadow of a Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament Square, 27 demonstrators—including an 83-year-old priest and a former government attorney—were arrested on Saturday. They gathered to challenge the British government’s new designation of the direct-action group Palestine Action as a terrorist organization, effectively criminalizing their dissent.

The group, known as Defend Our Juries, had alerted Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley of their intent to protest the ban, which carries potential prison sentences of up to 14 years. Among those detained was 83-year-old Rev. Sue Parfitt, who described the demonstration as an essential act of civil disobedience. Joining her was former government lawyer Tim Crosland, who argued that the state’s decision to equate nonviolent protest with groups like Al-Qaeda reflects a dangerous degradation of democratic norms.

The Proscription Debate

The UK government moved to proscribe Palestine Action following acts of property damage at a Royal Air Force base in Oxfordshire. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper fast-tracked the designation under the Terrorism Act of 2000, a move that passed through Parliament with minimal opposition. While the government maintains the ban is a necessary security measure, United Nations experts and prominent cultural figures have condemned the move as an unjustified attack on freedom of expression. Critics point out that labeling nonviolent activists as terrorists sets a precedent that could chill political advocacy, particularly regarding the ongoing conflict in Gaza and the UK's role in arms exports.