By Eniola Amadu
The Metropolitan Police has confirmed that 355 people were arrested in central London during demonstrations in support of Palestine Action, a group proscribed by the UK government earlier this year.
The protests, organised by campaign group Defend Our Juries, went ahead in Trafalgar Square despite warnings from ministers and police to postpone following Thursday’s deadly synagogue attack in Manchester.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer had urged demonstrators to “respect the grief of British Jews”, while Jewish organisations and community figures criticised the timing of the protests.
The Metropolitan Police said it deployed around 1,500 officers to manage the demonstrations.
A large number of arrests were made in Trafalgar Square, while six people were detained earlier in the day after unfurling banners on Westminster Bridge which read: “I oppose genocide” and “I support Palestine Action.” Officers removed the banners within minutes.
The Force said many of those arrested had to be carried from the square, with each arrest requiring at least five officers to complete safely.
In a letter to organisers, the Met raised concerns that policing the protest would divert resources at a time when visible reassurance and protective security were being prioritised for Jewish communities.
Palestine Action was proscribed in July under counter-terrorism legislation, following incidents in which activists broke into an RAF base and damaged military aircraft.
Supporting or expressing affiliation with the group is now a criminal offence. Since the ban, police have arrested hundreds of individuals at demonstrations connected to the group.
The protests in London coincided with a smaller event in Manchester, where around 100 pro-Palestinian supporters gathered outside Manchester Cathedral before a march.
The demonstrations came just two days after two Jewish men, Adrian Daulby and Melvin Cravitz, were killed when a man drove a car into worshippers outside Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Manchester.
The attacker, Jihad Al-Shamie, also injured three others before attempting to enter the synagogue armed with a knife. He was shot dead by armed police.
The Community Security Trust (CST), a charity providing security for Jewish communities, described the protests as “phenomenally tone deaf”.
Its director of policy, Dave Rich, said the demonstrations diverted vital police resources from protecting Jewish people “at a time of grief and fear.”
Defend Our Juries defended its decision to proceed, insisting participants would show “huge respect and real grief” for those affected by the Manchester attack.
Group member Sir Jonathon Porritt told BBC Radio 4 that campaigners should not be asked to “give up our right to stand up for those who are being devastated by an ongoing genocide in Gaza.”
The group has also urged the Metropolitan Police to prioritise “protecting the community” rather than arresting demonstrators for holding signs in support of Palestine Action.
