British mass arrests record! 500 people imprisoned by the government for criticizing Israel
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/09/palestine-action-arrests-london-largest-protest-ban
More than 450 people have been arrested in central London at the largest demonstration relating to Palestine Action since the group was proscribed as a terrorist organisation.
On Saturday night, the Metropolitan police said: “Parliament Square and Whitehall are clear. As of 9pm, 466 people had been arrested for showing support for Palestine Action.
The Met said the total of 474 was the most arrests it had made related to a single operation in at least the past decade.
Before the planned event in the capital, the Met said it had drawn officers from other forces to help form a “significant policing presence”. It was anticipated the event would result in large numbers of people being detained.
By Saturday afternoon, hundreds of people had gathered in Parliament Square for a demonstration organised by the campaign group Defend Our Juries, who said “approximately 1,000 sign-holders” had turned up.
The Met said it estimated 500-600 people were in Parliament Square when the demonstration began, but “many” were not taking part.
“The police have only been able to arrest a fraction of those supposedly committing ‘terrorism’ offences, and most of those have been given street bail and allowed to go home. This is a major embarrassment to Yvette Cooper, further undermining the credibility of this widely ridiculed law.”
On Saturday evening, the home secretary thanked officers and reaffirmed the government’s decision to ban Palestine Action.
The demonstration began at 1pm but officers made a small number of arrests beforehand. Soon after, officers began arresting people outside the green holding signs that referenced Palestine Action. One woman, while being dragged away by police, said: “All of you have loved ones, you’re arresting the wrong people. Arrest the people over there [pointing towards parliament], arrest the people complicit in the genocide.”