London police arrest over 40 supporters of Palestine Action

Protesters have gathered for a second straight week to support the banned Palestine Action. Its outlawing means support for the group is now a crime.

Police in London arrested at least 41 people on Saturday for supporting the banned group Palestine Action at a protest outside parliament.

"Officers have made 41 arrests for showing support for a proscribed organization. One person has been arrested for common assault," London's Metropolitan Police said in a statement on X. 

Why were people arrested?

As Palestine Action has been officially proscribed as a terrorist group, being a member of, or showing support for, Palestine Action is punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

The decision to ban Palestine Action places the activist group in the same category as Hamas, Hezbollah,  al-Qaeda and so-called "Islamic State" (IS).

Activist group Defend Our Juries said that 86 people had been arrested across several cities.

The group said the arrestees included four vicars, a lawyer, a civil servant, a social worker, a mechanical engineer and the daughter of a Polish resistance fighter.

"We will not be deterred from opposing genocide, nor from defending those who refuse to be bystanders," the group said in reference to the accusations of genocide leveled against Israel for its military actions in Gaza.

It was the second week in a row that protesters gathered to support the pro-Palestinian activist group. Last weekend, 29 people were arrested at a similar protest.

What else do we know about the protests?

Two groups of protesters gathered underneath the statues of Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi and South Africa's first post-apartheid president, Nelson Mandela, in Parliament Square in central London.

Some protesters who were lying down were reportedly lifted off the ground and into waiting police vans parked around the square.

Ahead of Saturday's planned protests, London's Metropolitan Police said on X that "it is a criminal offence to invite or express support for a proscribed organisation."

"As we saw last week, those who do breach the law will face action," it added.

In northwest Manchester, 16 others were also arrested for showing support for Palestine Action. Other protests were held in Wales and Northern Ireland. 

Why did the British government ban Palestine Action?

The British government moved to ban Palestine Action following a break-in and vandalism at a Royal Air Force base.

Pro-Palestinian activists damaged and sprayed red paint over two planes used for refuelling and transport.

The group wanted to protest against the government's ongoing military support for Israel in its war in Gaza, where dozens of Palestinians were killed early Saturday morning by Israeli airstrikes, and while on the way to distribution points.

Edited by: Alex Berry