Activists call on Met chief to let Palestine Action protest proceed without arrests

On Saturday 6 September, an estimated 1,000+ protesters are set to descend on Parliament Square to protest the proscription of Palestine Action. In preparation for the ‘Lift the Ban’ event, activist group Defend Our Juries has appealed to Met commissioner Mark Rowley to not arrest those in attendance. They’ve also set out a legal and moral argument for why this is the correct course of action.

‘Lift the Ban’ protests from Defend Our Juries

Defend Our Juries have stated that those attending the coming protest “will be coming to sit peacefully holding cardboard signs”. These signs will state “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action”. Police have arrested individuals for expressing such sentiments at other protests and events:

UK Police Arrest Elderly and Disabled Over Support for Palestine

In one of the UK’s largest mass arrests in recent years, police detained over 500 people in London during a protest against the government’s decision to outlaw Palestine Action, including a blind man in a… pic.twitter.com/WjZ4OU0Pix

— OnePath Network (@OnePathNetwork) August 13, 2025

UK police have arrested Baptist minister James Grote outside his church in London after he held a sign that read, "I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action." pic.twitter.com/udgbRQUQEK

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) August 26, 2025

British police have arrested hundreds of protestors for holding up signs saying “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action”

But they have arrested zero — zero — dual nationals who have participated in the actual genocide. pic.twitter.com/kR8x6GMpVW

— Philip Proudfoot (@PhilipProudfoot) August 9, 2025

Defending their right to protest, Defend Our Juries have noted that they advised Rowley of the following:

Police forces in Edinburgh, Totnes, Derry and Kendall have all taken the decision not to arrest sign-holders.

DOJ also reminded Rowley that government barristers have made it clear at hearings in the Royal Courts that it is perfectly legal to campaign for the deproscription of a banned group.

Amnesty International has advised Rowley that any arrests will be in violation of international law.

A direct statement from the group reads:

You do not need to endlessly repeat the embarrassing charade of arresting people who are acting peacefully and lawfully in front of the world’s press, bringing policing into disrepute.

As the hundreds start to become thousands, maybe it’s time to put a cap on your losses and give your hardworking and overstretched men and women some well deserved rest?

No more violations of international law, no more officers wondering how long they can tolerate serving in a force that compels them to carry away elderly, frail vicars into police vans and police cells. No more officers, facing burnout, feeling “ashamed and sick” for arresting people with disabilities for terrorism.

Over one thousand of us will be coming to sit peacefully holding cardboard signs on Parliament Square on Saturday 6 September 2025. What happens next is down to you.

Internal dissent

This latest protest comes as Novara Media published a report showing internal dissent within the UK police forces. In a piece titled ‘Police Officers Admit They Feel ‘Ashamed’ Enforcing ‘Mad’ Palestine Action Ban‘, Harriet Williamson wrote:

Enforcing the Palestine Action ban is exhausting, unsustainable and making cops miserable, Met officers, government lawyers and the police federation have told Novara Media.

One officer described feeling “ashamed and sick” when they arrested a disabled person on terror charges. “That feeling won’t leave me anytime soon,” they said. Another told an arrestee it’s “not the work I came into the police to be doing”.

A Police Federation spokesperson, meanwhile, criticised the fact there are “no ‘extra’ officers” to police Palestine Action protests, putting London’s Met police in particular at high risk of burnout. “Officers are emotionally and physically exhausted,” the spokesperson said. “The demand is relentless. And it’s not sustainable.”

The piece carries comments from several police officers who have described the ‘shame’ they have felt arresting peaceful protests, with many of those arrested disabled or over retirement age.

Defend our Juries and others commented on the story online:

Exclusive: @novaramedia

One officer described feeling “ashamed and sick” when arresting a disabled person on terror charges. “That feeling won’t leave me anytime soon,”.

Another told an arrestee it’s “not the work I came into the police to be doing”. https://t.co/zmQ1MgM7ik

— Defend Our Juries (@DefendourJuries) September 4, 2025

“Enforcing the Palestine Action ban is exhausting, unsustainable and making cops miserable, Met officers, government lawyers and the police federation have told Novara Media.”

⁦@YvetteCooperMP⁩ doesn’t seem to care, though. Why? https://t.co/igerv68bUL

— Aaron Bastani (@AaronBastani) September 4, 2025

Left-wing outlets like Novara and the Canary have written extensively about the policing of protest movements in the UK; internal dissent from police officers is not a common factor in such reporting. Williamson notes in her piece that:

Palestine Action is the first non-violent direct action group to be designated a terrorist organisation in the UK. Showing support for the group can carry a maximum sentence of up to 14 years in prison.

Amnesty International

On 4 September, Westminster Magistrates’ Court released six Defend Our Juries activists under ‘strict bail conditions’. As reported by the Canary, the event which led to their arrest was a Zoom call in which activists planned for the upcoming protest. Following their release, Amnesty International’s Kerry Moscogiuri (director of campaigns and communications) said:

It is absolutely horrifying that these peaceful activists are being hauled through the legal system and threatened with severe punishment.

Charging people with terrorism offences for holding Zoom calls to organise peaceful demonstrations is as dangerous as it is absurd.

The fact that prosecutors have stated they will seek prison sentences of six to nine years is utterly chilling.

The use of courts and prisons to punish peaceful protesters under terrorism laws is a blatant violation of the UK’s obligations under international human rights laws.

The activists released on bail under strict conditions today should never have been charged. These charges must be dropped.

Featured image via Channel 4 News