The Metropolitan police has said it will arrest anyone providing “logistical support” to those protesting the Palestine Action ban in London on Saturday.

This means people could be arrested for bringing water to elderly and disabled people holding placards, organisers Defend Our Juries (DOJ) said.

Commander Adam Slonecki, who is leading the policing operation outside the US embassy, said: “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.”

DOJ also raised concerns that this could also include their own media liaisons.

When approached by Novara Media for clarification, a Met spokesperson said: “Section 44 of the Serious Crime Act 2007 makes it an offence to intentionally encourage or assist an offence.

“We are not going to define the terms we’ve used in our press release beyond their plain English meanings. Each incident is assessed on its own merits, and it is for officers to form the reasonable grounds to suspect an offence has taken place.”

A spokesperson for DOJ said in a statement: “How can the Met possibly justify arresting people who are not defying the ban themselves, who are simply providing logistical support to the peaceful protesters, many of whom are elderly or disabled and in need of support?

“It is also reckless and irresponsible, putting the safety of elderly and disabled people at risk… The moral bankruptcy of the Met is complete.”

The London protest is due to be held at the same time as another in Edinburgh, just days before the start of a supreme court challenge to the ban on Palestine Action.

Both protests hope to draw attention to questions over whether Keir Starmer’s government announced the proscription under pressure from US president Donald Trump, following the spray-painting of Trump’s Scottish golf course by Palestine Action protesters in March 2025.

Palestine Action became the first direct action group in British history to be proscribed as a terror organisation in July 2025. Over 3,300 people have since been arrested for peacefully defying the ban on expressing support for the group.

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