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

London police have arrested a significant number of Palestine Action supporters in the days leading up to a crucial Supreme Court hearing regarding the UK government's ban on the group. The Metropolitan Police initiated detentions shortly after hundreds of protesters assembled outside the US Embassy for a mass action. According to the AFP, 48 people were arrested by mid-afternoon, with the force continuing to make arrests.

The majority of those apprehended were charged with expressing support for a proscribed organization. Since July 2025, when the British government proscribed Palestine Action under anti-terrorism laws, nearly 4,000 individuals have been arrested for allegedly supporting the group. Many of the arrested individuals, including elderly people and Holocaust survivors, were seen holding placards at rallies with messages such as "I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action."

Protesters in London on Saturday carried banners with slogans like "How is trying to stop a genocide a crime?" and "We are protesters, not terrorists." The Supreme Court will convene a two-day hearing starting from Wednesday to hear the appeal by the group. The Court of Appeal had overturned a High Court ruling in June that deemed the ban to be unlawful.