Veteran Campaigner Detained at Central London Demonstration
Prominent British human rights activist Peter Tatchell has been arrested during a pro-Palestinian demonstration in central London, according to statements from his foundation. The 74-year-old campaigner was taken into custody at Sutton Police Station after being spotted carrying a placard bearing the phrase "Globalise the intifada" at Saturday's march organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
Free Speech Concerns Raised Following Arrest
In a strongly worded statement following his detention, Mr Tatchell condemned the police action as "an attack on free speech" and challenged the legal basis for his arrest. "The police claimed the word intifada is unlawful. The word intifada is not a crime in law," he asserted. "The police are engaged in over-reach by making it an arrestable offence. This is part of a dangerous trend to increasingly restrict and criminalise peaceful protests."
The veteran campaigner took to social media platform X to share a photograph of himself holding the controversial sign, which read: "Globalise the intifada: Non-violent resistance. End Israel's occupation of Gaza & West Bank." He provided linguistic context, explaining that "The Arab word intifada means uprising, rebellion or resistance against Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. It does not mean violence and is not antisemitic. It is against the Israeli regime and its war crimes, not against Jewish people."
Metropolitan Police Confirm Public Order Offence
The Metropolitan Police confirmed they had arrested a 74-year-old man "on suspicion of a public order offence" after he was observed carrying a sign containing the words "globalise the intifada." The Arabic term, meaning "uprising," has historically referred to two major Palestinian uprisings against Israeli occupation during the late 1980s and early 2000s, conflicts that resulted in thousands of casualties according to various estimates.
Saturday's demonstration saw two additional arrests when officers identified individuals carrying a banner stating "We are all Palestine Action." The Metropolitan Police confirmed these arrests were made "on suspicion of showing support for a proscribed organisation," referencing the proscription of Palestine Action as a terrorist group in July 2025.
Ongoing Controversy Surrounding Protest Language
This incident represents the latest development in an ongoing police crackdown on the use of the term "intifada" during London protests. In December, following the Bondi Beach terror attack that claimed fifteen lives during Hanukkah celebrations, the Metropolitan Police warned demonstrators that chanting "globalise the intifada" would result in arrests, citing changed contextual circumstances.
Three individuals were subsequently arrested for allegedly participating in chants calling for an intifada, with the Metropolitan Police confirming earlier this week that these individuals have been charged with using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour intending to stir up racial hatred, or where it was likely to be stirred up.
Diverging Perspectives on Police Action
Jewish organisations have largely supported the police's approach to restricting the term's use during demonstrations. The Community Security Trust, a charity providing protection for Jewish communities across Britain, described December's crackdown as coming "not a moment too soon."
Conversely, pro-Palestinian activists including Mr Tatchell argue that restrictions on terms like "intifada" and the similarly contentious phrase "from the river to the sea" - associated by some with calls for the elimination of the Israeli state - represent unacceptable infringements on freedom of expression. This arrest has reignited debates about the boundaries between maintaining public order and protecting fundamental democratic rights in the context of politically charged demonstrations.
