Pro-Palestinian protesters arrested outside U.S. Embassy in London

Key points

• London police arrested 48 people at a protest outside the U.S. Embassy supporting Palestine Action.
• The U.K. government outlawed Palestine Action as a terrorist organization last year.
• A vigil in Edinburgh showed support for the group; no arrests were reported there.

London's Metropolitan Police arrested 48 people at a protest outside the U.S. Embassy in London on Saturday. Police said most of the arrests were related to expressing support for a proscribed organization. More than 100 people took part in the demonstration.

Many protesters held signs reading "I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action." Some applauded and chanted "free, free Palestine" as people were taken away in police vans. Police said officers remained at the scene and were continuing to make arrests.

Ban carries heavy penalties

The U.K. government outlawed Palestine Action last year as a terrorist organization. Membership in or support for the group is a crime punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

A vigil in support of Palestine Action was also held outside the U.S. Consulate in Edinburgh, Scotland, with placards similar to those in London. No arrests were reported there, but Police Scotland said inquiries were ongoing to identify people seen wearing T-shirts and holding banners supporting a proscribed organization. "Evidence is being reviewed and further action will be taken as appropriate," police said.

Evidence is being reviewed and further action will be taken as appropriate

— Police Scotland

Court appeal and group background

The protests came before an appeal on Nov. 4 at the Supreme Court against Palestine Action's designation as a terror group. Supporters say the ban is draconian and violates their freedom of speech. In August, the U.S. government announced sanctions against the group, designating it as a terror organization.

Palestine Action, founded in 2020, aims to stop U.K. military support for Israel, which it says is committing genocide against the Palestinians — an accusation Israel strongly denies. The group says it aims to stop genocide by disrupting "corporate enablers of the Israeli military-industrial complex." In 2024, its activists broke into a factory owned by Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems UK, smashing equipment. In June 2025, activists broke into a Royal Air Force base and sprayed red paint into the engines of two tanker planes.