London protest RECAP: More than 500 protesters arrested in Trafalgar Square

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- Thousands gathered in Trafalgar Square for a protest supporting the Palestine Action group, with demonstrators sitting silently holding placards saying: “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.”

- Officers were seen carrying protesters away from the square, with crowds chanting “shame on you” during arrests.

- Some protesters made peace signs or continued shouting support for Palestine Action as they were removed.

- Former Met Police chief superintendent Dal Babu said the “optics” of arresting hundreds of people would be “very challenging” for the force.

- More than 2,700 people have reportedly been arrested since Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organisation last year.

- Yael Kahn, who said members of her family were killed in the Holocaust, attended the protest and said she wished there had been similar demonstrations when her family was exterminated by Nazi Germany.

Yael Kahn, who also said she used to care for female political prisoners in Gaza before moving to England, said: "I wish, when my family was exterminated in the Holocaust by Nazi Germany, I wish there were people protesting, like all of these lovely people here. I absolutely adore them."Ms Kahn stood at the edge of the protest on Saturday with a ribbon that read “free Palestine hostages”.

She added: "The police are not arresting those people who actually, their hands, are full, covered in blood, of children, of women, of entire people in the Middle East or West Asia. They are not questioning them."

Former Met Police chief superintendent, Dal Babu, told the BBC: "I think the difficulty is, when you’ve got 700 or 800 people who are willing to be arrested, that just isn’t practical. The optics of this will be very challenging for the police.

"It will present some significant difficulties for the police in terms of how they manage it and also be aware of the fact there will be a huge amount of people who have sympathy with what is going on with the views of Palestine Action."

Since Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organisation last year, more than 2,700 have been arrested for allegedly expressing support for the group.

The trials of people accused of supporting the group have been put on hold while the High Court case over the ban continues.

Proscription makes it a criminal offence to belong to or support Palestine Action. 

Commander Claire Smart, who is leading policing operations in London this weekend, said in a statement ahead of the action that that it presented "different considerations" to the usual.

She said: "While the Met regularly polices peaceful and lawful protest without the need for arrests, this event presents different considerations.

"At previous events linked to this group we have seen co-ordinated attempts to disrupt police activity, including obstructing officers and, at times, verbal or physical abuse.

"I would strongly encourage anyone considering attending to reflect on the potential consequences. An arrest and criminal record can have serious and lasting effects."

Defend Our Juries shared a video on its X account. It appears to show police officers removing protesters from Trafalgar Square.

Defend Our Juries wrote in their tweet: "Mass arrests under the Terrorism Act in Trafalgar Square, as hundreds defy the ban on Palestine Action."

Thousands of people were expected to attend the mass Palestine Action protest in central London.

The Met Police warned ahead of the protest that expressing support for the group would constitute "a criminal offence".

Demonstrators taking part in the 60-minute action started sitting silently holding banners reading “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action” from 1pm.

Protest group Defend Our Juries said the demonstration, called Everyone Day, will show the “resistance” to the ban on Palestine Action is “stronger than ever”.

The Metropolitan Police said Saturday’s action “is likely to involve offending rather than a lawful protest”.

Defend Our Juries said: “This issue affects everyone. From striking workers to peaceful protesters, everyone fighting for any worthy cause is at risk.

“If left unopposed, what starts with an unlawful ban on one direct action group will lead on to the removal of everyone’s rights and freedoms.”

Several police officers have carried a lady out from the protest as people chant “shame on you”. Police then lifted a man out in handcuffs and walked an elderly protester with a walking stick to the police vans. One woman shouted: “Yeah she looks like a terrorist, doesn’t she mate?"

Here are a couple of photos from the protest in Trafalgar Square taken earlier today.

The first shows protesters sitting in the square with placards reading, "I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action".

The second shows police carrying a man by his arms and legs away from the protest.

One protester made the peace sign as she was removed while another said “Palestine Action is not a proscribed organisation” as she was led off by officers.Protesters, some of whom were carried by their ankles and under their arms by officers, were led to an area at the side of Trafalgar Square surrounded by a metal fence.One woman was seen smiling as she held up her hands in handcuffs while others sat on the ground in silence in the fenced off area.Dozens of police officers were stood nearby as others moved in to remove protesters.