325 arrested at Nine Elms protest supporting Palestine Action
Demonstrators detained for expressing support for proscribed group outside US embassy.
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The Metropolitan Police arrested 325 individuals on Saturday, 31 October 2026, during a demonstration in Nine Elms, south-west London. The protest, held near the US embassy, saw the majority of those detained, 320 people, arrested for expressing support for the group Palestine Action. This action falls under the Terrorism Act, as Palestine Action was proscribed in June 2025.
Context of the Proscription
139 arrested at Nine Elms US embassy protest, Wandsworth residents affected
Metropolitan Police detained 139 demonstrators supporting the banned Palestine Action group after a Section 35 dispersal order, with the operation costing £1.3 million.
Expressing support for Palestine Action is an offence under the Terrorism Act following its proscription in June 2025. The demonstration on 31 October 2026 coincided with a period when the UK Supreme Court was due to review the group's ban. This review followed permission granted to the group's co-founder to appeal the proscription. Home Office figures indicate that 3,630 arrests related to Palestine Action were made in the year ending June 2026, bringing the total number of arrests associated with the group to 4,089.
Protesters held signs stating phrases such as “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action” and chanted “free, free Palestine” as arrests were made. Some demonstrators were carried to police vans by officers when they refused to walk. The group Defend Our Juries, which has organised protests against the ban, described the arrests as "unjust" and an "assault on free speech".
Charles Allison, a retired lawyer from Cumbria who was arrested, stated his concern for civil liberties, which he believes are "being devalued and watered down". He expressed hope that the Supreme Court justices would consider the long-term implications and rule the proscription unlawful. David Bolden, another protester, referred to the ban as an "absurd law".
Met Police warn of arrests at pro-Palestine protest
Organisers Defend Our Juries plan demonstration outside US Embassy in Battersea on Saturday
Amnesty International UK has also criticised the arrests and urged the government to withdraw the proscription of Palestine Action. Defend Our Juries stated that the number of people detained over the weekend pushed the total arrests related to the group to over 4,000, characterising the situation as "truly dystopian".
Questions this report answers
+How many people were arrested at the protest?
The Metropolitan Police arrested 325 people on Saturday, 31 October 2026, during a protest in Nine Elms. The majority of these arrests, 320, were for expressing support for the proscribed organisation Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act.
+Why were people arrested for supporting Palestine Action?
Palestine Action was proscribed under the Terrorism Act in June 2025. Expressing support for a proscribed organisation is an offence under this Act, leading to the arrests made by the Metropolitan Police at the protest.
+What is the total number of arrests related to Palestine Action?
According to Home Office figures, 3,630 arrests were made in the year ending June 2026. Combined with previous arrests, including those on 31 October 2026, the total number of arrests related to Palestine Action has now reached 4,089.
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