The Met Police has issued an arrest warning ahead of a planned "mass" pro-Palestine protest in London this weekend. Activist group Defend Our Juries is organising the demonstration outside the US Embassy in Battersea on Saturday (October 31), calling for the government to lift its ban on the proscribed terrorist group Palestine Action.
Protest organisers and demands
Organisers of the protest have claimed that the proscription of Palestine Action is a "huge attack on our democratic right to protest", particularly in what they describe as "a genocide which our government is participating in."
Palestine Action was proscribed in June 2025 under the Terrorism Act 2000, making membership, material support, or displaying items in support of the group a criminal offence in the UK. Despite calls for the ban to be lifted, the Court of Appeal upheld the decision earlier this year.
Police response and warnings
The Met Police has warned that anyone planning to attend the demonstration on Saturday could face arrest. In a police update, the force said officers would be deployed in the vicinity of the area as part of a robust policing operation.
The force warned that it is not "just those who hold up placards who should expect to be arrested" and that anybody considered to be playing a key role in organising the event would be seen as likely to be committing an offence.
Expected turnout and previous protests
It is unclear how many protesters are expected to participate in what Defend Our Juries described as "mass-action", but some social media reports have suggested that hundreds could be present. More than 250 protesters attended the last Defend Our Juries protest in Liverpool during the Labour Party conference, where 50 demonstrators were arrested for their support of the Palestine Action group.
Calling protesters to action, the group said on its website: "The new Prime Minister has chosen not to issue a statement about the 230 brave individuals who defied Labour’s unjust ban outside his first conference as PM, 161 of whom were arrested under the Terrorism Act for holding paper signs."
Protest logistics and legal guidance
In a briefing document provided by Defend Our Juries, the protest is expected to commence at 1pm on public land outside the US Embassy in Battersea. The document includes guidance on signage and placarding, advice on how to avoid being stopped by police en route, and suggestions for protesters to "go floppy" and withhold details from police if arrested. It also contains key legal information to prepare protesters for the demonstration.
