Adobe StockPeople attending protests in support of proscribed group Palestine Action on Saturday could be arrested even if they do not hold up placards in support of the banned organisation, police have said.
Some 400 protesters are expected to gather outside the US embassy in Nine Elms, London, and another demonstration is scheduled for the US consulate near Holyrood in Edinburgh in support of the group.
Defend Our Juries, which is organising the demonstrations, said protesters will hold up signs reading “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action”.
Expressing support for the group is an offence under the Terrorism Act after it was proscribed in June 2025.
The protests come ahead of an appeal at the Supreme Court against Palestine Action’s designation as a terror group on November 4.
Commander Adam Slonecki, from Scotland Yard, said: “All those intending on coming to this event know that supporting a proscribed organisation is unlawful – they are essentially meeting to purposefully commit a crime.
“The public would rightly expect us to be proactive and not just stand by and wait for offences to be committed.
“I want to be clear – it is not just those who hold up placards who should expect to be arrested. Anyone officers consider to be playing a key role in organising the event, giving instructions to others and/or providing logistical support will very likely be committing an offence and face enforcement action.
“This is not about preventing people from expressing their views, but about acting robustly in cases where doing so involves criminality.
“These events also take significant police resources away from the neighbourhoods and communities where they are most needed. I would urge anyone planning on attending to reconsider.”
In June, five Court of Appeal judges said the ban on Palestine Action as a terror group was a “justified and proportionate” interference on freedom of expression rights.
This overturned the judgment of three judges at the High Court who ruled in February that the then-home secretary Yvette Cooper’s decision to ban Palestine Action was unlawful, after a legal challenge from the group’s co-founder Huda Ammori.
Figures released by the Home Office show that 92% of terrorism-related arrests made between March 31, 2025 and March 31, 2026 were linked to Palestine Action.
Defend Our Juries said it is targeting US government buildings with the latest round of protests because it claims the Palestine Action ban was handed out to appease US President Donald Trump.
In August, the US government announced sanctions against Palestine Action, designating it a terror group.
STV News has contacted Police Scotland for comment.
Follow STV News on WhatsApp
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
