Hundreds Detained in Central London
London’s Metropolitan Police arrested 532 people during a mass demonstration on 9 August, sparked by the government’s decision to outlaw the activist network Palestine Action. Among those detained was a blind, elderly man in a wheelchair, along with more than a dozen people in their 80s.
The arrests took place in Parliament Square, where protesters gathered in defiance of the July 5 ban that placed Palestine Action on the UK’s list of proscribed organisations under the Terrorism Act.
Protesters Face Terrorism Charges
According to police, 522 people were arrested for holding placards or displaying messages of support for Palestine Action.
Under the Terrorism Act, anyone supporting or promoting a banned group faces prison sentences of up to 14 years. Ten others were taken into custody on charges of assault, obstruction, and public order offences.
Human Rights Groups Condemn Response
Rights organisations swiftly condemned the heavy-handed approach. Amnesty International UK’s chief executive Sacha Deshmukh said the protesters were non-violent and described the arrests as “disproportionate to the point of absurdity.” He urged the government to focus instead on halting Israel’s assault on Gaza and preventing British complicity in the war.
Critics argued the crackdown signalled a slide into authoritarianism.
Videos circulated online showed officers carrying elderly protesters by their arms and legs, while some detainees reported being denied water and kept in the sun for extended periods.
Elderly Protesters and Civil Disobedience
The protest was part of Defend Our Juries’ ‘civil disobedience campaign,’ resisting the UK ban on Palestine Action.
Retired teachers, NHS workers, and even relatives of Holocaust survivors said their opposition to what they described as Britain’s support for genocide motivated them to join the protest.
Eighty-year-old Marianne Sorrell, a retired teacher from Somerset, said she was detained for 27 hours after holding a sign reading “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.” Police reportedly confiscated several of her possessions during a raid on her home.
Government Defends Proscription
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper defended the arrests, saying the government protects protest rights but support for a banned group crosses a legal line.
Palestine Action now joins al-Qaeda, ISIS, and Hezbollah on the UK’s terrorism list, which the government says ensures national security.
Critics argue the mass arrests, including elderly and disabled protesters, raise serious concerns about free expression in modern Britain.
Watch the video here:
@trtworld London’s Metropolitan Police arrested more than 466 people, including a blind, elderly man in a wheelchair, during an August 9 protest against Britain’s decision to ban the group Palestine Action.
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