Record 522 Arrested in London

London’s Metropolitan Police announced on Sunday that 522 people were arrested the previous day for breaching anti-terrorism laws by showing support for the recently banned group Palestine Action.

According to an updated statement from the Met, all but one of these arrests occurred at a protest in Parliament Square, where participants displayed placards backing Palestine Action. The remaining arrest took place in nearby Russell Square during a Palestine Coalition march opposing Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.

The figure of 522 is believed to be the largest number of arrests ever made at a single protest in the UK capital.

In addition, police made 10 more arrests, including six for assaulting officers, though none of the injuries were serious. The average age of those detained was 54, with six teenagers, 97 people in their 70s, and 15 in their 80s among them. Arrested individuals were roughly split between men and women.

Palestine Action was outlawed by the UK government on July 5, shortly after the group claimed responsibility for breaking into a Royal Air Force base in southern England, where they caused an estimated £7 million ($9.3 million) worth of damage to two aircraft. The group said its actions were in response to Britain’s indirect military support for Israel amid the Gaza conflict.

The Home Office has accused the group of carrying out other “serious attacks” involving violence, significant injuries, and large-scale property damage.

Following Saturday’s mass arrests, Interior Minister Yvette Cooper defended the ban, saying national security and public safety were the government’s top priorities. She stressed: “The assessments are very clear — this is not a non-violent organization.”

However, critics — including the United Nations, Amnesty International, and Greenpeace — have condemned the ban as excessive and a threat to free expression. Greenpeace UK co-executive director Areeba Hamid argued that if similar events occurred abroad, the UK government would be expressing concern over human rights and freedom of speech. She accused ministers of turning the police into “thought police” and equating direct action with terrorism.

Since July 5, when membership or support of Palestine Action became a criminal offense punishable by up to 14 years in prison, police across the country have made numerous similar arrests. Earlier this week, authorities charged three people for supporting the group after their arrests during a July 5 demonstration.

The Met said on Sunday that it will soon send 26 more case files from that day to prosecutors, with additional cases expected from subsequent protests. Thirty of those detained on Saturday had been arrested at previous Palestine Action events.

By Sunday afternoon, 18 people remained in custody but were expected to be released on bail within hours. Counter-terrorism officers are now compiling evidence to pursue charges against those arrested in the latest operation.