A whole bunch of individuals collect in Trafalgar Sq. for demonstration, as aged lady with cane is escorted away by police.
Printed On 11 Apr 2026
London, United Kingdom – Police have begun arresting people throughout a mass vigil in central London to oppose the ban on marketing campaign group Palestine Action.
A whole bunch of individuals gathered in Trafalgar Sq. for the demonstration on Saturday, with many holding indicators saying, “I oppose genocide. I assist Palestine Motion.”
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A number of individuals have been carried by police away from the demonstration. At one level, an aged lady with strolling sticks was escorted away by police.
One demonstrator advised Al Jazeera he was participating as a result of he “believed within the democracy”.
“I believe Britain has now descended right into a non-democratic scenario and I believe that may be very harmful [for] free speech,” he added.
Defend Our Juries (DOJ), a United Kingdom-based activist group that organised the protest, demanded that the federal government carry the ban on Palestine Motion, and drop all costs and investigations into those that have been arrested beneath the Terrorism Act, for allegedly supporting the campaigners.
The group stated it’s additionally protesting in opposition to the Metropolitan Police’s U-turn on its coverage to arrest individuals who present assist for Palestine Motion.
Palestine Motion is a direct motion group which says it desires to finish British complicity in Israel’s mistreatment of Palestinians.
It has claimed duty for actions together with a break-in at an RAF base, the place aeroplanes have been painted, and an assault on a London enterprise it stated was linked to weapons producers for Israel.
The UK authorities proscribed Palestine Motion as a “terrorist organisation” in July 2025, putting it in the identical class as armed teams together with al-Qaeda and Hezbollah.
The proscription additionally makes it unlawful to be a member of, or categorical assist for, the group, offences punishable by as much as 14 years in jail.
Eight activists linked to the community had staged starvation strikes whereas in jail on remand to protest in opposition to the federal government’s proscription of the group.
On February 13, the Excessive Courtroom dominated the federal government’s proscription of Palestine Motion to be illegal. It referred to as the transfer “disproportionate” and in breach of freedom of expression.
Initially, Metropolitan Police indicated they have been unlikely to arrest individuals displaying assist for the group following the Excessive Courtroom’s ruling.
However on March 25, police stated they may resume arrests for these displaying assist. Critics say this U-turn defies the courtroom ruling.
One of many Palestine Motion starvation striker activists, Qesser Zuhrah, advised Al Jazeera on the demonstration in London that the Met’s determination to renew arrests exhibits that the police “don’t serve us”.
“It simply exhibits that the Met police, they don’t serve us, they don’t defend us, they work solely to strengthen what the federal government desires,” she stated.
Organisers stated an estimated 1,500 individuals took half within the vigil.
The UK authorities’s enchantment in opposition to the Excessive Courtroom ruling is scheduled to be heard by the Courtroom of Enchantment on April 28 and 29.
