LONDON, 24 Nov. - (ANA) - At least 90 protesters were detained in central London on Saturday during a rally held in solidarity with Palestine Action, the UK-banned direct-action network that targets Israeli arms companies. Among those arrested was the daughter of a Holocaust survivor.

 

The Metropolitan Police confirmed the arrests in a post on X, claiming the protest supported the "proscribed terrorist organisation Palestine Action".

 

Campaigners said police had moved in almost immediately, detaining people for silently holding signs opposing genocide and the government's ban.

 

Banners that read "I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action" were among those displayed in Tavistock Square, a site known for its peace memorials.

 

Defend Our Juries, which organised the rally, said officers began removing protesters within minutes. "Lift the ban," the group said.

 

The arrests highlight growing resistance to the Home Office's decision earlier this year, under then-home secretary Yvette Cooper, to outlaw the group.

 

Supporters say the proscription is an attempt to shield Israeli weapons manufacturers operating in Britain from public pressure.

 

According to The Independent, those detained included Carolyn Gelenter, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, who said she "can't be a bystander".

 

Gelenter, 67, was arrested for the second time for expressing support for a group the government now labels a "terror" organisation. She wore a sign identifying her family history before being carried away by officers.

 

Speaking to PA news agency shortly before her arrest, she said: "I thought I’d made my point… but I’m really worried about the erosion of our democratic rights. The right to free speech, peaceful protest and free assembly is all being eroded. As a Jew, and the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, I cannot stand by and watch this happening."

 

Defend Our Juries noted that police detained no one at a similar demonstration last week, calling the inconsistency proof that "the proscription is unenforceable".

 

A spokesperson added: "The ban has been widely condemned as an act of authoritarian overreach. Protest is not terrorism."

 

The group's ongoing solidarity campaign comes ahead of next week's judicial review at the High Court, where Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori will challenge the organisation's proscription.

 

It is the first time in UK history that a banned organisation has been allowed to contest its listing in court. A successful challenge could lead judges to rule that Cooper’s decision was unlawful.

 

Six Palestine Action members also face trial on Monday, accused of damaging weapons at the British site of Israeli arms giant Elbit Systems in August 2024.

 

Their case, alongside the heavy policing of protests, has drawn international scrutiny of the UK government under Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

 

Rights groups and residents in the UK- and in other European states such as Germany- have condemned what they describe as increasingly heavy-handed responses to pro-Palestine protests.-(ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/24 November 2025 - - -