London, England – The Metropolitan Police confirmed 488 arrests during a large protest at Trafalgar Square, where demonstrators defied the government’s ban on Palestine Action. The vigil began on October 5 at 1 p.m. and lasted six and a half hours, with the final arrests taking place at 7:30 p.m.

These latest detentions raise the total number of people arrested for opposing the ban to more than 2,000 since it was imposed on July 5, 2025. Among those taken into custody were Elizabeth Morley, a 79-year-old Jewish daughter of a Holocaust survivor; Muhammad Rabbani, Managing Director of CAGE International; and Reverend Sue Parfitt, an 83-year-old Anglican priest.

Elderly and disabled individuals were also detained, including a blind man and two protesters using mobility wheelchairs. Each held a sign reading, “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.”

The police operation mobilized 1,500 Metropolitan officers — nearly 70% of the force’s public order capacity — alongside 400 officers brought in from other regions, including Northern Ireland.

Amnesty International’s Patrick Corrigan condemned the heavy deployment, saying it was “astonishing to see police resources used to arrest pensioners holding cardboard signs.”

Defend Our Juries described the mass arrests as “an extraordinary affront to democracy,” accusing the Labour Government of “criminalising those trying to save lives in Palestine.” The group announced plans for “a major escalation” of civil disobedience between November 18 and 28, ahead of a High Court review of the ban.

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