London police arrest 139 as hundreds protest Palestine Action ban

Key Points:

• At least 139 people were arrested in London after defying police warnings and protesting against the UK government's proscription of Palestine Action, a group classified as a terrorist organization under UK law.
• The protest took place outside the US embassy, with demonstrators opposing the ban that was enacted in July last year under then-Prime Minister Keir Starmer; similar protests occurred in Edinburgh without arrests.
• The arrests have sparked criticism from figures like Labour MP John McDonnell, who argued that protesting the proscription should not be equated with supporting the group or committing an arrestable offense.
• Palestine Action’s designation as a terrorist organization has been controversial, with critics claiming it suppresses pro-Palestine voices and equates the group with entities like al-Qaeda and ISIS.
• Human rights advocates, including Amnesty International UK, have condemned the arrests as an attack on freedom of speech and called for the government to revoke the proscription and reform laws to protect peaceful demonstrations.