London police arrest dozens days before Supreme Court hearing on Palestine Action ban

London police arrested dozens of Palestine Action supporters on Saturday, days before the UK Supreme Court hears an appeal against the government's contentious ban on the group. The Metropolitan Police began detaining people shortly after hundreds of protesters gathered outside the US Embassy for a lunchtime "mass action", AFP reported. A parallel protest was held outside the US consulate in Edinburgh. In a mid-afternoon update, the force said 48 people had been arrested and that officers were "continuing to make arrests". "The majority of arrests have been for expressing support for a proscribed organisation," it said in a post on X. Nearly 4,000 people have been arrested for allegedly showing support for Palestine Action since the British government proscribed it under anti-terrorism laws in July 2025. Many of those arrested, including elderly people and Holocaust survivors, have held placards at rallies reading: "I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action." Protesters in London on Saturday also carried banners with slogans such as "How is trying to stop a genocide a crime?" and "We are protesters, not terrorists". The Supreme Court will hold a two-day hearing from Wednesday on an appeal by the group, after the Court of Appeal in June overturned a High Court ruling that the ban was unlawful. An elderly pro-Palestine activist is carried away by police officers after being arrested during a protest outside the US Embassy in London, 31 October 2026 (CARLOS JASSO / AFP)