More than 500 people, including an 87-year-old woman and Massive Attack frontman Robert Del Naja, have been detained during a protest against the government's ban on the activist group Palestine Action.

The demonstration, which drew hundreds to Trafalgar Square on Saturday, saw protesters carrying signs reading "I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action" – slogans that have become emblematic of the group's protests since the UK government proscribed it under anti-terror legislation in July 2025.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed that by 11:07 pm, 523 people had been arrested. Commander Claire Smart had issued a warning ahead of the protest, stating that "showing support for a proscribed organisation is an offence under the Terrorism Act, and we will not hesitate to act where the law is broken."

The ban on Palestine Action was declared unlawful by the High Court in February. However, it remains in force pending a government appeal. Despite the court ruling, police have resumed arresting protesters for expressing support for the group.

More than 2,700 people have now been arrested since the ban was imposed. The trials of hundreds of individuals have been put on hold while the legal battle over whether the group should have been proscribed continues.

Robert Del Naja, founding member of the band Massive Attack, was among those detained. Speaking to PA News before the protest, he described the police's decision to "make that U-turn to arrest people again" as "ridiculous."

Del Naja argued that Palestine Action's actions were "highly patriotic because they were pretty much protecting our country from getting involved in serious war crimes, and breaking international law. How much more patriotic can you be than that?"

Another demonstrator, Linda Walker, said she had attended because "there's been a genocide going on for the last two-and-a-half years. The only people the government are willing to take action against are the people trying to stop it."

Saturday's protest, named "Everyone Day", was organised by Defend Our Juries, which said the event would demonstrate the "unwaning resistance to the ban on Palestine Action."

In a statement following the arrests, the Metropolitan Police said: "We are grateful to all the officers involved for their professionalism."

The arrests come as the UK has authorised the United States to use British military bases to carry out operations against Iran. During a phone conversation on March 20 with British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the UK's decision.

"These actions will certainly be regarded as participation in aggression and will be recorded in the history of relations between our two countries," Araghchi said.

He also called on UK officials to refrain from any cooperation with the US and the Israeli regime, including providing platforms for what he described as "terrorist" TV channels supporting hostile actions against Iranians.

Critics argue the arrests reflect a broader pattern of repression against pro-Palestine activism in Britain. Despite court rulings questioning the legality of the ban, the government continues to enforce it using counter-terrorism powers.

For the activists arrested on Saturday, their alleged crime was not violence, but wearing a message opposing genocide – an indication, some say, of the government's shifting priorities as British bases are used to support military action abroad. (ILKHA)