Police arrested 48 people during a protest outside the United States embassy in London on 31 October 2026, in support of the banned group Palestine Action.

More than 100 protesters gathered outside the embassy in Nine Elms, with the Metropolitan Police saying the majority of the 48 arrests were for expressing support for a proscribed organisation. Officers remained at the scene and were continuing to make arrests, according to the police statement reported on Saturday afternoon.

Placards and a dispersal order

Many demonstrators carried placards reading: "I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action". The protest was organised by Defend Our Juries, which had announced a mass action from 1pm outside the embassy, with a parallel vigil outside the US consulate in Edinburgh. No arrests were reported at the Edinburgh event.

The Metropolitan Police imposed a Section 35 dispersal order across parts of London, including the embassy grounds, between 8am and 11pm on Saturday. Commander Adam Slonecki warned that anyone supporting those holding placards could also expect to be arrested at the demonstration.

Why the protest took place now

Expressing support for Palestine Action has been an offence under the Terrorism Act since the group was proscribed in June 2025. The protest took place ahead of a Supreme Court appeal, scheduled for 4 November, against the group's designation as a terrorist organisation.

This is a separate event from the Burnley bank case reported in batch 136, which concerned a court sentencing, not the London embassy protest. The London demonstration was staged outside the US embassy because organisers argue Washington played a part in the proscription debate, and the United States designated the group in August 2026.