Police arrest dozens at London rally supporting Palestine Action

What the report says

Al Jazeera reported that British police arrested dozens of people on Thursday, July 30, 2026, during a rally outside Westminster Magistrates’ Court in central London in support of Palestine Action, a group that has been proscribed in the UK as a “terrorist” organisation. The Metropolitan Police said on X that showing support for Palestine Action is an offence under the Terrorism Act and that officers had begun making arrests.

The demonstration was organised by Defend Our Juries, which said it was picketing the start of court hearings involving people charged over statements of support for Palestine Action. Al Jazeera said a plea hearing for 25 people accused of showing support for the group was taking place. Defend Our Juries claimed “hundreds” attended, though Al Jazeera noted the crowd size had not been independently confirmed. Images showed demonstrators outside the courthouse, some with Palestinian flags.

The rally was described as the first such protest since Andy Burnham became UK prime minister earlier in July and Labour leader. Al Jazeera noted that Burnham has sought to shift Labour’s approach to Gaza after criticism of the previous government under Keir Starmer. Rights groups and critics cited in the report argue the proscription and arrests raise civil liberties concerns, while the government’s position is reflected in the police statement that support for a banned organisation is unlawful.

Green Party leader Zack Polanski called on Burnham to reverse Palestine Action’s proscription, saying the prime minister had the power to end the crackdown. The case matters because it tests the boundary between protest, political expression and counterterrorism law in the UK amid continuing public mobilisation over Israel’s war in Gaza.