Massive Attack frontman Robert Del Naja was among more than 500 people arrested on Saturday at a demonstration against the ban on Palestine Action in central London. The musician, also known as 3D, was taken into custody on suspicion of showing support for a proscribed organisation after holding a sign reading “I Oppose Genocide, I Support Palestine Action”.
Footage of the arrest shows Del Naja being approached by police officers and carried away from Trafalgar Square as other protesters cheered. When asked why he was being arrested, he replied: “I’m being unlawfully arrested.” Before the protest, Del Naja told the Press Association he had been aware of the potential consequences for his music career, including travel and visa difficulties, but decided to attend anyway, calling the police’s reversal of their earlier position “even more ridiculous”.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed that 523 people had been arrested by midnight on 11 April, with ages ranging from 18 to 87. The demonstration was the first mass protest against the proscription of Palestine Action since the High Court ruled the ban unlawful in February, a decision which the government is appealing. Despite the ruling, the Met resumed arrests in March.
Del Naja later issued a statement on social media, describing the arrests as “total madness” and noting that “in Britain in 2026 you can be arrested under the Terrorism Act for sitting in silence, holding a cardboard sign stating that you oppose genocide & support non-violent action to prevent it.” He argued that the actions of Palestine Action were “highly patriotic” because they aimed to prevent the UK from becoming involved in war crimes.
Massive Attack are due to begin a summer tour in Europe from 26 May to 8 June, starting in Helsinki, Finland, and including dates in Sweden, Denmark, Germany, and Belgium. The band, formed in Bristol in 1988, now consists of Del Naja and Grant “Daddy G” Marshall.
