UK police say greater than 500 individuals arrested in pro-Palestinian occasions over weekend : NPR

LONDON — London police stated Sunday that 532 individuals had been arrested the day before today when supporters of a pro-Palestinian group just lately outlawed as a terrorist group deliberately broke the regulation to check the federal government’s potential to implement the ban.

The Metropolitan Police Service launched the up to date figures as protestors demanding the quick launch of the remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza held their very own march by means of central London on Sunday afternoon.

The overwhelming majority of these detained on Saturday had been arrested for displaying placards declaring their help for the group often known as Palestine Motion. Police up to date their earlier totals and stated 522 individuals had been arrested for supporting a proscribed group in violation of anti-terror legal guidelines. One other 10 individuals had been arrested on quite a lot of prices, together with assaulting and obstructing cops.

Backers of Palestine Motion staged the protest to underscore their perception that the federal government is illegally proscribing freedom of expression by banning a direct motion group that has challenged its insurance policies.

Dwelling Secretary Yvette Cooper, who oversees regulation enforcement in Britain, rejected that characterization, saying Palestine Motion was banned after committing critical assaults involving violence, vital accidents and in depth prison injury.

“The proper to protest is one we defend fiercely however that is very completely different from displaying help for this one particular and slender, proscribed group,” Cooper stated in an announcement. “Many individuals could not but know the fact of this group, however the assessments are very clear, this isn’t a nonviolent group,” she added.

Cops arrest a demonstrator throughout a protest in help of the Palestinian Folks in Gaza, in Parliament Sq., in London, Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025.

Alberto Pezzali/AP

cover caption

toggle caption

Alberto Pezzali/AP

Police launched up to date info on the Palestine Motion protest after the entrance pages of Sunday newspapers featured pictures of aged protesters being carted off by officers.

A type of was La Pethick, an 89-year-old retired psychotherapist, who informed the Occasions of London that she had the help of her 5 grandchildren. “We’re having our proper to peaceable protest being taken away,” she stated.

Virtually half of these arrested had been over the age of 60, in response to figures launched by the Met.

Police stated the method of deciding whether or not to file prices in opposition to these arrested is more likely to take weeks as officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command put collectively case information and search approval from prosecutors, and in some circumstances the legal professional common.

Parliament voted to ban Palestine Motion after activists broke right into a Royal Air Power base and broken two tanker planes to protest British help for the conflict in Gaza. Palestine Motion had beforehand focused Israeli protection contractors and different websites in Britain that they consider have hyperlinks with the Israeli army.

Supporters of Palestine Motion are difficult the ban in court docket, arguing that the federal government has violated human rights legal guidelines by in declaring the group a terrorist group.