A woman from Cumbria was among 29 people arrested in Parliament Square under terrorism legislation after staging a protest in support of Palestine Action.
The group was officially proscribed as a terrorist group just hours earlier.
Gwen Harrison, 47, from Kendal, was detained on Saturday alongside a range of others including health professionals, campaigners and 83-year-old Reverend Sue Parfitt.
The demonstrators gathered by the statue of Mahatma Gandhi holding placards that read: "I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action."
They were arrested under Section 13 of the Terrorism Act which makes it an offence to express support for a proscribed terrorist organisation. All 29 have since been released on conditional bail, the Metropolitan Police confirmed on Sunday.
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Speaking after her arrest, Ms Harrison said: "Everyone has the right to freedom of expression. Everyone has the right to peaceful assembly. The genocide of the Palestinian people is a horrific crime against humanity.
"If I cannot express my opposition to genocide, and my support for those who resist it, then the right to freedom of expression has no meaning, and democracy in this country is dead."
Officers are responding to a protest in support of Palestine Action in Parliament Square.
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) July 5, 2025
The group is now proscribed and expressing support for them is a criminal offence.
Arrests are being made.
Further updates will be shared here.
The protest took place less than 24 hours after the Government’s ban on Palestine Action came into force, making it a criminal offence to support or be a member of the group, which has carried out numerous direct actions targeting UK arms suppliers.
The Metropolitan Police said the arrests were made shortly after the protest began at 1.10pm. Images from the scene showed Reverend Parfitt being led away in handcuffs and other protesters placed into vans by officers.
"Officers, you could see, did it with great care and tried to preserve that person's dignity, but they're breaking a serious law."
Sir Mark added that Palestine Action is not simply a protest group, pointing to ongoing court proceedings: "This is about an organisation committing serious criminality.
"There are millions of pounds worth of damage on multiple occasions. There are assaults, there are weapons used."
The Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the group had a 'long history of unacceptable criminal damage, calling the Brize Norton incident 'disgraceful.' MPs voted overwhelmingly in favour of the proscription, with 385 votes to 26.
A spokesperson from the campaign group Defend Our Juries said: "We commend the Counter Terrorism police for their decisive action in protecting the people of London from some cardboard signs opposing the genocide in Gaza and expressing support for those taking action to prevent it.
"It’s a relief to know that Counter Terrorism police have nothing better to do."
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Palestine Action had attempted a late-night legal challenge to halt the ban, but it was dismissed by the Court of Appeal just two hours before the new law took effect at midnight on Friday.
In a letter to the Home Secretary, protesters said: "We do not wish to go to prison or to be branded with a terrorism conviction, but we refuse to be cowed into silence by your order."
Under the Terrorism Act, expressing support for a proscribed group is now punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
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