London's Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) reported that 466 people were arrested on Aug. 9 for displaying support for activist group Palestine Action at a protest in Westminster. The MPS added that an additional eight arrests were conducted, including five for assault on police officers. Police said they invoked Section 60AA of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act of 1994, which grants police officers the authority to demand the removal of any clothing or disguise, including masks and face coverings used for concealing identity in whole or in part.

The MPS noted that the individuals were sent to "Prisoner Processing Points in the Westminster area," where they were released on bail, conditional upon their not participating in any protest led by Palestine Action in the future.

Palestine Action, a pro-Palestinian group formed in 2020, was designated a "terrorist organization" by the UK government in 2025 under the Terrorism Act of 2000, following a series of "direct actions" against arms manufacturers supplying weapons to Israel.

The Terrorism Act of 2000, the UK's main legislation governing counter-terrorism, stipulates that the government can ban the operation of organizations which is believed to be involved in acts of terrorism, allowing the government to criminalize membership, support, or the promotion thereof.

In July, UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk warned that the ban of Palestine Action under the act was an over-extension of counter-terrorism powers to non-terrorist conduct. He stated that the decision to designate the organization as a terrorist group was disproportionate, violating freedom of expression and assembly.

According to the Network for Police Monitoring (NETPOL), the ban and criminalization of support for the group is a political move aiming to shut down solidarity campaigns for the Palestinians. Particularly, NETPOL noted that the wide-ranging and poorly defined anti-terrorism law gives police powers that could be abused in racist and Islamophobic ways.

From JURIST, Aug. 10. Used with permission.