Elderly, disabled people among 500 arrested over pro-Palestine protest in London

Nearly 500 people were detained in London during a pro-Palestine protest that went ahead despite appeals for restraint following the Manchester synagogue attack.

Two days after the Crumpsall incident, large crowds gathered in central London on Saturday demanding the government lift its ban on the activist group Palestine Action.

According to organisers from Defend Our Juries, about 1,000 people took part in the demonstration, which they described as an effort to “oppose genocide and the Palestine Action ban.”

The Metropolitan Police reported that 492 protesters were taken into custody, with ages ranging from 18 to 89. Of them, 297 remained detained while the rest were released on bail.

Before the march officially began, officers arrested six individuals on Westminster Bridge for displaying banners reading “I oppose genocide” and “I support Palestine Action.”

Most arrests occurred at Trafalgar Square, where demonstrators waved placards in support of Palestine Action, a group designated as a terrorist organisation by the UK government in July. The police said another contingent attempted to move from Whitehall toward the square before being stopped.

Witnesses noted that many of those taken away were elderly. Images from the scene showed police assisting protesters using walking sticks or wheelchairs, and in some cases, carrying individuals who refused to move.

One demonstrator, 62-year-old Mike Higgins — who is blind and uses a wheelchair — told the PA news agency, “We are going to win this battle, by the way, there’s no doubt about that. The problem for me is that I want to win it now to try and bring an end to the suffering in Palestine.”