UK police have arrested at least 41 people during a protest in London opposing the government’s recent ban on the activist group Palestine Action. Demonstrators gathered in Parliament Square on Saturday in defiance of the controversial move, which critics say poses a serious threat to civil liberties and the right to protest.

The Metropolitan Police said the arrests were made for “showing support for a proscribed organization,” with one individual also detained for common assault.

The crackdown follows the previous weekend’s arrest of 29 people including a priest and several healthcare workers after a failed legal attempt to halt the ban.

The UK government officially proscribed Palestine Action under anti-terrorism legislation earlier this month, placing the group alongside designated terrorist organizations such as al-Qaeda and ISIL.

The classification makes it a criminal offence to support or participate in the group’s activities, carrying a penalty of up to 14 years in prison.

The move has sparked widespread concern from human rights advocates and civil society groups, who argue it criminalizes peaceful dissent. Saturday’s protest saw campaigners gather silently near the statue of Nelson Mandela outside the UK Parliament, holding placards that read: “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.”

Campaign organization Defend Our Juries, which coordinated parallel protests in cities including Manchester, Cardiff, and locations in Northern Ireland, denounced the ban as “Orwellian.” In a post on social media, the group said arrests were also made at those events, though police have yet to confirm the claims.

Palestine Action, founded in July 2020, is known for its high-profile direct action campaigns targeting weapons manufacturers linked to Israel, including Elbit Systems and Thales.

Last month, activists breached a UK military base and sprayed red paint on two aircraft in protest of the UK’s support for Israel’s war in Gaza a move that was cited by the government in justifying the ban.

Opponents argue that branding the group as a terrorist organization is a misuse of anti-terror laws intended for violent threats, not non-violent civil disobedience.

The proscription comes amid heightened tensions over the war in Gaza, where leading human rights organizations have accused Israel of war crimes and warned of an unfolding genocide.

The British government, meanwhile, has condemned Palestine Action’s tactics and accused the group of causing millions of pounds in property damage.

Rights groups say the latest arrests mark a dangerous escalation in the UK’s response to pro-Palestinian activism, raising urgent questions about freedom of expression and the right to protest.