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

London's Metropolitan Police said it arrested 139 people at a protest outside the U.S. Embassy in Battersea, south London, on Saturday, October 31, in support of the banned group Palestine Action. The police said most of those detained had expressed support for a proscribed organization, and that officers remained at the scene and expected more arrests. Demonstrators held signs reading "I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action." A similar vigil took place outside the U.S. Consulate in Edinburgh, where no arrests were reported, though Police Scotland said inquiries to identify people wearing T-shirts and holding banners backing a proscribed group were continuing. The UK government outlawed Palestine Action last year as a terrorist organization, and membership or support carries up to 14 years in prison. Defend Our Juries, which organized the protest, said more than 4,000 people have been arrested since the ban took effect in July 2025. It estimated about 400 people attended. The protests came ahead of a Supreme Court appeal on Nov. 4 against the designation.

Left-leaning outlets differ in detail. The Guardian leads with the arrest toll, calling it the largest such demonstration under Prime Minister Andy Burnham, and quotes the Met's warning of a "robust policing operation" and Commander Adam Slonecki's statement that attendees were meeting to commit a crime. It also gives Defend Our Juries' claim that the Met feared US embarrassment. CBS News carries an earlier count of 48 arrests and more than 100 participants, notes the chanting as people were led away, and adds the Supreme Court appeal and supporters' view that the ban is draconian. The alternative outlets, The Hindu and AP, center on the 139 figure and the police statement; The Hindu adds that many protesters were retirees and quotes the group calling the arrests "dystopian." Right-leaning outlets had not reported this story at the time of writing, while left-leaning and alternative outlets had, focusing on the arrests and the legal challenge to the ban.