400 Protesters Gather as Police Make Arrests at US Embassy

More than 100 people were arrested or reported for summons at a demonstration outside the United States embassy in Battersea, south London, on Friday.

The gathering marked the first mass protest against the proscription of Palestine Action under the premiership of Andy Burnham. Demonstrators held signs that read, “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action,” while a separate vigil was held at the US consulate in Edinburgh.

The Metropolitan Police issued warnings ahead of the event, stating that participants faced arrest as part of a policing operation. Commander Adam Slonecki, who led the operation, said those organizing the event or providing logistical support were likely committing an offence.

Slonecki noted that supporting a proscribed organization is unlawful, describing the meeting as an effort to purposefully commit a crime. The police indicated that officers would take enforcement action against anyone playing a key role in the event’s structure.

Defend Our Juries, the group behind the demonstrations, estimated that around 400 people took part in the London gathering. A spokesperson for the group said the Metropolitan Police were “terrified of facilitating US embarrassment” and characterized their response as overzealous.

Sue Morhall, a 79-year-old retiree, sat outside the embassy holding a sign in support of the group. She said she believed the United States was complicit in ongoing wars and that world leaders, including Donald Trump, needed to know public opinion regarding Gaza.

Morhall, who has been arrested five or six times at previous demonstrations, expressed hope that Prime Minister Burnham might rescind the ban, though she suggested he might wait until the midterm elections in America. She described the principle of the protest as something she felt strongly about.

The Rev Bill White, 72, also held a sign supporting Palestine Action. He said he was appalled that Britain was facilitating genocide in Palestine by supplying weapons used against Palestinians. White, who resigned from the Labour Party after the proscription, said there was no choice for a faith leader but to take part.

A spokesperson for Defend Our Juries stated that the police response exposed how far UK authorities would go to appease American interests. The group argued that Israel’s war crimes could not have happened without US approval.

The protests occurred ahead of a scheduled appeal at the Supreme Court on 4 November regarding Palestine Action’s designation as a terror group. Last month, more than 160 people were arrested or reported for summons at a similar demonstration in Liverpool.

The new government has faced pressure to rescind the ban, though Shabana Mahmood remains home secretary in favor of the proscription. Sarah Helm, wife of national security adviser Jonathan Powell, was accused of supporting the group after a post on X. One woman arrested in London held a sign that replicated Helm’s post, despite the Metropolitan Police assessing that Helm’s original post did not meet the criminal threshold.