LONDON

More than 50 people were arrested Saturday in central London as tens of thousands marched in support of Palestine, days after the UK formally designated the Palestine Action activist group as a terror organization.

Despite heavy rain, demonstrators filled the streets of Westminster, waving flags, chanting and holding hand-written signs referencing Palestine Action, which was proscribed under Terrorism Act 2000 earlier this month.

Police said 55 people were detained under Section 13 of the act, which bans the display of support for a proscribed organization.

Officers intervened within minutes of the protest’s start, arresting individuals carrying placards and banners. Some were carried away by police, while others were handcuffed and led from the scene.

One person was arrested for chanting words. “Likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress,” according to the Metropolitan Police. The arrests occurred shortly after the front of the march reached Whitehall.

The protest marked the third consecutive weekend of pro-Palestine demonstrations in the capital. Authorities said 70 people were detained in previous protests around Parliament Square.

'Our spirits fly higher than F-35s'

Addressing the crowd, Palestinian Ambassador to the UK Husam Zomlot said: "We will rise again, yes, wounded but never broken. Our spirits fly higher than F-35s. To the people of Gaza, look at the millions of the world standing for you, fighting for you. We will remain in our land, we will rebuild Gaza."

He added: "Israel has made Gaza a test lab for genocide. What are we without shared humanity? What have they become? Those enablers of genocide, they still sell arms. Shame on you."

Labour MP Richard Burgon also condemned the protest crackdown: "We are going anywhere until justice is done. They are clamping down on the right to protest. History, justice, international law is on our side. We will secure free Palestine."

Palestine Action ban

The protest follows the UK’s July 5 decision to formally proscribe Palestine Action, a group known for direct-action campaigns targeting arms companies linked to Israel’s military.

The group drew headlines in June after its activists entered RAF Brize Norton and spray-painted military aircraft.

Co-founder Huda Ammori sought a legal injunction to suspend the ban pending a judicial review, but the High Court denied the request.

Rights groups have criticized the government’s move, warning it could criminalize peaceful dissent. Supporters of the ban argue that the group’s actions pose serious safety and security risks.

War on Gaza

Israel’s assault on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023, has killed nearly 59,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health authorities, most of them women and children.

The second year of genocide in Gaza has seen widespread destruction, mass displacement, starvation and outbreaks of disease.

In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice.