British police have prohibited the activist group Palestine Action from staging a protest outside the UK Parliament on Monday, a rare measure coinciding with government deliberations over whether to officially ban the organization.
The Metropolitan Police announced the enforcement of an exclusion zone around the Houses of Parliament, a common site for political demonstrations, citing public safety concerns following recent incidents involving the group. In response, Palestine Action stated it had relocated its planned protest to Trafalgar Square, just outside the restricted area.
Palestine Action has been at the forefront of pro-Palestinian activism in the UK, regularly targeting defence contractors and businesses allegedly linked to Israel since the outbreak of the genocide in Gaza.
Reports in British media suggest the government is weighing the possibility of proscribing Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation, which would place it in the same legal category as groups like Al Qaeda and Daesh (ISIS).
Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said on Sunday that while the right to protest is fundamental, the actions of Palestine Action have crossed a line.
“We support lawful protest, but the group’s recent conduct goes far beyond what most people would consider legitimate,” Rowley stated. “We’ve provided the government with the operational grounds for considering a ban.”
Interior Minister Yvette Cooper is expected to address the issue in Parliament soon, Finance Minister Rachel Reeves confirmed Monday.
Palestine Action members have been accused of causing millions of pounds in damage, including vandalising military aircraft during a break-in at a UK airbase last week. They also allegedly assaulted a police officer with a sledgehammer during a previous action, Commissioner Rowley added.
The latest police move reflects growing tensions between security authorities and pro-Palestinian activists, as debates over protest rights and public safety intensify in the UK.
