London Police Arrest 139 at US Embassy Protest Backing Banned Group Palestine Action

London's Metropolitan Police said they arrested 139 people on Saturday, October 31, at a protest outside the U.S. Embassy in Battersea, south London, in support of Palestine Action, a group the UK government banned as a terrorist organisation last year. Police said most of those detained had expressed support for a proscribed organisation and that officers remained at the scene making further arrests. Protesters held signs reading "I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action." Defend Our Juries, the group that organised the demonstration, estimated about 400 people attended. Commander Adam Slonecki, who led the policing operation, said attendees knew that supporting a proscribed group was unlawful. A vigil was also held outside the U.S. Consulate in Edinburgh; no arrests were reported, but Police Scotland said inquiries were continuing to identify people wearing T-shirts and holding banners backing the group. The ban makes membership or support a crime punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Defend Our Juries said more than 4,000 people have been arrested since the ban took effect in July 2025. An appeal against the designation is due at the Supreme Court on Nov. 4.

Left-leaning outlets covered the story at different stages. The Guardian reported the 139 figure, called it the largest such gathering under Prime Minister Andy Burnham, and featured the Met's warning of arrest and Slonecki's "meeting to purposefully commit a crime" remark alongside Defend Our Juries' claim that the force was "terrified of facilitating US embarrassment." CBS News led with an earlier count of 48 arrests and more than 100 participants, and emphasised the 14-year maximum sentence, Police Scotland's follow-up and the upcoming Supreme Court appeal, noting supporters call the ban draconian. The alternative outlet The Hindu, running the Reuters photo and AP's text, led with 139 arrests and added colour: many protesters were retirees, one climbed a tree with a placard, and Defend Our Juries called the 4,000 arrests "dystopian." Right-leaning outlets had not reported this story at the time of writing, while left-leaning and alternative outlets had.