Six campaigners have been arrested after draping Westminster Bridge with banners supporting the proscribed group Palestine Action, sparking a major police operation as tensions escalate over protests planned for this weekend following Thursday’s deadly synagogue terror attack in Manchester.
The activists from Defend Our Juries initially struggled to get the banners out in the wind, but managed to hold two banners over the north side of the bridge, which read “I oppose genocide” and “I support Palestine Action”. The Metropolitan Police swiftly responded to the incident, confirming that officers were quickly on scene, the banner had been removed and the six people involved have been arrested for supporting a proscribed organisation.
The arrests come at an exceptionally sensitive time, occurring just two days after a car ramming and stabbing attack outside a synagogue in the northern UK city of Manchester left two members of the Jewish community dead and three others hospitalised during Yom Kippur, Judaism’s holiest day. Police fatally shot the suspect, who was later identified as Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, a British citizen of Syrian descent.
Mass Protest Planned Despite Police Warnings
Despite the Westminster Bridge arrests and heightened tensions following the Manchester attack, a major demonstration is set to proceed in Trafalgar Square on Saturday. A “mass action” against the Palestine Action ban will take place in Trafalgar Square this Saturday (4th October), with 1,500 people having signed a pledge to join the action and risk arrest by pledging their support for the banned organisation.
Around 1,500 people, “including priests, vicars, pensioners and healthcare workers”, are in attendance in the “Lift The Ban” protest in Trafalgar Square. Demonstrators began arriving early, with protesters clapping before sitting down, chanting “free, free Palestine”. Some participants were writing “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action”, while others held pre-written signs.
The Metropolitan Police has deployed substantial resources to the area. Dozens of police officers were lined up next to Nelson’s Column in central London, awaiting the expected arrival of hundreds of protesters supporting the banned group Palestine Action. Additionally, City of London police officers have arrived to support the Metropolitan Police.
Commissioner Condemns “Mass Law Breaking”
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley issued a stark warning about Saturday’s planned protest, expressing frustration at what he described as deliberate mass law-breaking. Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said: “At a time when we want to be deploying every available officer to ensure the safety of those communities, we are instead having to plan for a gathering of more than 1,000 people in Trafalgar Square on Saturday in support of a terrorist organisation.”
The Commissioner particularly emphasised the timing of the protest, stating: “By deliberately choosing to encourage mass law breaking on this scale, Defend Our Juries are drawing valuable resources away from the communities of London at a time when they are needed most.”
The force has already begun making arrests at the Trafalgar Square demonstration. In a statement on X, the Met said: “Officers have begun making arrests in Trafalgar Square where people are displaying placards in support of Palestine Action. The square is busy, but quite a few people in the crowd appear to be observing/supporting but not carrying placards themselves.”
Palestine Action Ban and Previous Arrests
Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in July 2025 following an incident in which activists from the group broke into a Royal Air Force base and vandalized two tanker aircraft in protest against the United Kingdom’s support for Israel’s military operations. Membership of, or support for, Palestine Action is a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison under the Terrorism Act 2000.
Since the ban came into effect, there have been unprecedented numbers of arrests. Over 1,600 people have been arrested for peaceful sign-holding under the Terrorism Act 2000 since the Palestine Action ban came into effect on 5th July — more than six times the total number of terrorism-related arrests in typical periods. In total, 857 people were arrested under Section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000 (TACT) for showing support for Palestine Action and 33 people were arrested for other offences, including 17 for assaults on police officers during one major protest alone.
Political Leaders Call for Restraint
The timing of the protests has drawn sharp criticism from political leaders across the spectrum. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp told GB News that “The marches, in my view, should be stopped. And I say that for two reasons. Firstly, as a mark of respect to the families of the victims in Manchester and indeed the whole Jewish community in the United Kingdom who are in grief and shock, as you would expect.”
Philp added: “The second reason is the police, both in Manchester and the Metropolitan Police in London, have said they don’t have the resources to both properly police the protest and also protect the Jewish community and synagogues at the same time.”
Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police Sir Stephen Watson urged would-be attendees at the protest to “consider whether this is really the right time”. Police forces across the country have deployed extra officers to synagogues and other Jewish buildings to offer protection and reassurance in the aftermath of the attack.
Defend Our Juries Campaign Persists
Despite the arrests and political pressure, Defend Our Juries shows no signs of backing down. The objective of this campaign is to Lift the Ban on Palestine Action, i.e. for Palestine Action to be de-proscribed as a ‘terrorist organisation’.
The group argues that “Once the meaning of ‘terrorism’ is separated from campaigns of violence against a civilian population, and extended to include those causing economic damage or embarrassment to the rich, the powerful and the criminal, then the right to freedom of expression has no meaning and democracy is dead.
Rights group Amnesty International described the arrests as “deeply concerning.” It has previously criticized the law as “excessively broad and vaguely worded and a threat to freedom of expression.”
Manchester Connection and Security Concerns
A similar protest is also planned in Greater Manchester, where Greater Manchester Friends of Palestine and taking place regularly over the last two years, is also scheduled to occur. This comes as the Manchester community continues to reel from Thursday’s synagogue attack.
Local residents Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, died in the attack Thursday on the Heaton Park Congregation Synagogue in the Manchester suburb of Crumpsall. Three other people are hospitalised in serious condition. The attack has heightened fears within Jewish communities across Britain, with many calling for enhanced security measures.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who cut short a European summit to address the crisis, said the Manchester synagogue attacker targeted “Jews because they are Jews,” adding that the UK must defeat this rising hatred. He emphasised that events could cause further turmoil for the families of victims and the Jewish communities.
Legal Challenge and Ongoing Tensions
Recently, a high court judge ruled that Huda Ammori (Palestine Action’s founder) could bring a legal challenge to the ban with her lawyers calling it an “authoritarian and blatant abuse of power”. The judicial review could potentially overturn the proscription, though the government is seeking to block this legal challenge.
As Saturday’s protest approaches, the Metropolitan Police faces the challenging task of maintaining public order whilst respecting the right to peaceful protest. With emotions running high following the Manchester attack and over 1,500 people pledging to defy the terrorism laws, the demonstration represents a critical test for both law enforcement and the government’s controversial ban on Palestine Action.
The confrontation at Westminster Bridge and the planned mass protests highlight the deepening divisions over how Britain responds to the Israel-Palestine conflict, with civil liberties groups warning that the use of terrorism legislation against peaceful protesters sets a dangerous precedent for democracy.
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Image Credit:
Solidarity protest for Palestine in London — photo by Steve Eason, licensed under CC BY 2.0
