MORE THAN 300 DETAINED OUTSIDE US EMBASSY IN LONDON OVER UK BAN ON PALESTINE ACTION

November 1, 2026

British police detained more than 300 people during protests outside the United States Embassy in London over the weekend, as demonstrators opposed the UK government’s decision to proscribe the pro-Palestinian activist group Palestine Action under anti-terrorism legislation.

The Metropolitan Police reported 325 detentions during the demonstrations, which followed an earlier protest on Saturday when at least 48 people were arrested at the same location. Many demonstrators expressed support for Palestine Action and challenged the government’s decision to classify the organisation as a terrorist group.

Protesters argued that the ban threatens freedom of expression and the right to peaceful political dissent. Some participants carried placards opposing what they described as the criminalisation of support for the Palestinian cause.

The UK government banned Palestine Action after activists carried out direct-action operations targeting facilities associated with Israel’s defence industry, including a raid on a Royal Air Force base in June 2025 that damaged military aircraft. Authorities have defended the proscription on national security grounds, while the group’s supporters have challenged it as an excessive restriction on civil liberties.

The ban makes membership in or support for the proscribed organisation a criminal offence under British law. The dispute has triggered repeated demonstrations and mass arrests, turning the legal status of Palestine Action into a wider debate over counter-terrorism powers, public protest and freedom of speech.

The latest detentions underscore continuing tensions between British authorities and pro-Palestinian campaigners as the legal challenge to the ban proceeds.