Thousands of people took to the streets of London on Saturday to demand the lifting of a ban on the Palestine Action group. The demonstration, held at Parliament Square, saw at least 425 arrests, according to police reports.
The protest was organized by the campaign group Defend Our Juris, which said nearly 1,500 people participated. Clashes broke out between protesters and police, with a video shared on social media showing multiple arrests allegedly made solely for carrying pro-Palestine placards.
The Press Association reported that a protester was injured during a police baton charge. Intense confrontations occurred on-site, with bottles and other objects thrown toward officers, and some individuals falling to the ground amid the crowd surge.
In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said those detained faced charges including assault on police and public support for a proscribed organization. Officers reported being struck by punches, kicks, spit, and thrown objects during the operation.
Sources: Al Jazeera, BBC, Reuters