LONDON — Dozens of people were arrested outside a London courthouse on Thursday after expressing support for Palestine Action, a protest group that has been banned as a terrorist organization by the British government.
The arrests came as Palestine Action was given the go-ahead to ask the U.K. Supreme Court to overturn the year-old ban, which makes membership in or support for the group a crime punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
Police detained protesters who gathered outside Westminster Magistrates’ Court shouting, “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action,” as onlookers shouted “Shame!” The Metropolitan Police force said 77 people had been arrested, most for “expressing support for a proscribed organization.”
More than 3,000 people have been arrested over actions as simple as holding signs declaring “I support Palestine Action” since the group was outlawed. More than 1,200 have been charged under the Terrorism Act, although no one has yet been convicted.
The government outlawed Palestine Action after activists broke into a Royal Air Force base in June 2025 to protest British military support for Israel’s military offensive in Gaza.
The group challenged the ban, and it was quashed by the High Court in February. But in June the Court of Appeal ruled that the ban was a “justified and proportionate” interference with freedom of expression. It said the group had gone beyond direct-action civil disobedience and used violence “to destroy property and cause injury.”
On Thursday, the Supreme Court said Palestine Action founder Huda Ammori can take the case to the country’s top judges. The case is due to be heard sometime between October and December.
All cases of people charged with breaching the ban have been put on hold until the Supreme Court rules, court officials said.
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