Met issues update ahead of planned Defend Our Juries activity this weekend

The Met is warning anyone planning to attend a demonstration in support of Palestine Action in central London this Saturday that they face arrest as part of a robust policing operation.

Officers will be deployed in the vicinity of the US Embassy after the activist group Defend Our Juries announced plans for a mass show of support for Palestine Action.

Expressing support for the group is an offence under the Terrorism Act following its proscription in June 2025, a decision upheld by the Court of Appeal in June 2026.

Commander Adam Slonecki, who is leading the policing operation, said: “All those intending on coming to this event know that supporting a proscribed organisation is unlawful – they are essentially meeting to purposefully commit a crime.

“The public would rightly expect us to be proactive and not just standby and wait for offences to be committed.

“I want to be clear – it is not just those who hold up placards who should expect to be arrested. Anyone officers consider to be playing a key role in organising the event, giving instructions to others and/or providing logistical support will very likely be committing an offence and face enforcement action.

“This is not about preventing people from expressing their views, but about acting robustly in cases where doing so involves criminality.

“These events also take significant police resources away from the neighbourhoods and communities where they are most needed. I would urge anyone planning on attending to reconsider.”