Holding up cardboard signs and "disrupting the arms trade" with strikes and protests is now considered terrorism in the UK. Of course this law has nothing to do with the action of holding up cardboard signs, it has everything to do with the message that is written on them, that you oppose genocide and stand with Palestine for independence and sovereignty from military occupation.
Terrorism is a serious offense, for which Canada has considered (under Conservative governments, of course) stripping citizenship for. It should not be applied to holding up cardboard signs with "the wrong message".
This is a commonality of all authoritarian anti-protest legislation. Just like how Alberta has made it illegal to "block infrastructure" in protest as long as you're blocking oil corporations on Indigenous treaty land to force them to uphold their legal responsibility to consultation with Indigenous leaders, but not if you're white owner/operators in multi-million dollar trucks blocking a quarter billion dollars worth of trade for divisive politics, stockpiling assault weapons to use against the RCMP.
It has nothing to do with the fact that you're protesting or HOW you're protesting, but everything to do with WHO you're protesting or WHAT you're protesting for.
'“A total of 29 arrests were made during this afternoon’s protest in support of Palestine Action in Parliament Square. They remain in custody,” the Metropolitan Police wrote on X on Saturday evening.
In an earlier statement, the police force said the protesters were detained “on suspicion of offences under the Terrorism Act 2000”.
“They have been taken into custody. Palestine Action is a proscribed group and officers will act where criminal offences are committed,” it said.
Campaign group Defend Our Juries said in an earlier statement that a priest and a number of health professionals were among those detained. The protesters had held cardboard signs, reading: “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.”
“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,” a Defend Our Juries spokesperson said.
Passersby condemned the arrests as police intervened in the demonstration at around noon local time (11:00 GMT).
“Met Police, you are puppets of the Zionist state” and “leave them alone”, some were quoted as shouting by the Press Association, the British news agency.
Other supporters, not directly involved in the Palestine Action protest, shouted, “Who do you protect? Who do you serve?” and “British police off our streets”.'
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/5/supporters-of-banned-palestine-action-group-arrested-at-london-protest