Pro-Palestine activists have disrupted the London Pride parade, covering a float with red paint – as almost 30 people were arrested for expressing support for the banned Palestine Action group a day after it was banned.
Four Youth Demand protesters targeted CISCO’s truck as they charged the US-based company with ‘genocide’ and said they have ‘no place’ at the event.
It comes less than 24 hours after Palestine Action was banned and designated as a terrorist organisation.
Police arrested almost 30 people on suspicion of terrorism offences after protesters gathered in Parliament Square holding signs supporting the group hours after a ban came into effect.
Last night, a judge threw out co-founder Huda Ammori’s legal challenge to stop the government from proscribing it under the Terrorism Act 2000.
Photos from the London Pride event today show the group of Youth Demand activists sitting in front of CISCO’s float holding buckets of red paint and Palestinian flags.
The parade was delayed for about an hour while the protesters were removed and five people arrested.
Youth Demand claimed on social media: ‘Technology corporation CISCO has a long standing partnership with the Israeli military and enables the mass murder of Palestinians through advanced military communication networks facilitated by their Unified Communication systems.
‘They have willingly supplied their technology to strengthen Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza and have NO place at London pride.
‘Youth Demand’ activists holding Palestinian flags glue themselves to a truck during the 2025 Pride Parade in London
Police officers detain a ‘Youth Demand’ activist, on the day of the 2025 Pride Parade in London
Naomi Campbell and Edward Enninful attend the Pride parade in London 2025
Pro-Palestine protesters from Youth Demand throw red paint and glue themselves to the lead float
‘They are not only complicit in war crimes but actively enabling military communications in an apartheid state.
‘We demand a total trade embargo on Israel and an end to the pink-washing of complicit corporations.’
The group targeted the CISCO float as it passed through Piccadilly at around 12.30pm today.
Four activists glued themselves to it, before chanting ‘we charge you with genocide’.
A Met Police spokesperson said: ‘Met officers have arrested five people after Youth Demand protesters disrupted the Pride event in central London.
‘At around 12:30hrs four members of the group threw red paint over a truck involved in the parade and glued themselves to the vehicle outside The Ritz.
‘They were removed by specialist officers and arrested. A fifth member of the group was arrested in the crowd.
‘The parade has resumed and a significant policing operation remains in place.’
Youth Demand yesterday said that they stand ‘unequivocally’ with Palestine Action.
In Parliament Square, around two dozen people, including a priest, professor and an emergency care worker who is just back from Gaza, sat in front of the Gandhi statue expressing support for Palestine Action.
They held signs saying: ‘I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action.’
Reverend Sue Parfitt, 83, is pictured as she joined the protest in support of Palestine Action in Westminster on Saturday
The Met Police said it was making arrests over the protest in Parliament Square on Saturday afternoon
Metropolitan Police officers remove people from a protest in support of Palestine Action
A woman is carried away by police from a protest in support of Palestine Action in Parliament Square this afternoon
Around 20 people, including a priest, professor and an emergency care worker who is just back from Gaza, sat in front of the Gandhi statue in Parliament Square on Saturday expressing support for the group
Shortly after their arrival, police officers could be seen engaging with the protesters and the Met said it had began making arrests. Several people were seen being carried away by officers.
A spokesperson for the force said: ‘Officers are responding to a protest in support of Palestine Action in Parliament Square.
‘The group is now proscribed and expressing support for them is a criminal offence. Arrests are being made.’
They later added: ‘A total of 29 arrests were made during this afternoon’s protest in support of Palestine Action in Parliament Square. They remain in custody.’
One of those protesting today is former government lawyer Tim Crosland. He said: ‘There are already 18 Palestine Actionists held in UK prisons without a trial, following lobbying by the Israeli government and Elbit Systems, the leading supplier of the machinery of genocide.
‘If we cannot speak freely about the genocide of Palestinians, if we cannot condemn those who enable it and praise those who resist it, then the right to freedom of expression has no meaning, and democracy in this country is dead.’
The Met Police issued a warning ahead of the protest, stating there are a number of events taking place in London this weekend and ‘anyone attending should be aware that officers policing these will act where criminal offences, including those related to support of proscribed groups or organisations, are committed’.
Participants take part in the parade during London Pride 2025 on July 5
The group targeted the CISCO float as it passed through Piccadilly at around 12.30pm today
Paloma Faith attends the Pride march in London 2025
Pride revelers take part in the annual Pride parade in London today
Police officers handcuff a ‘Youth Demand’ activist, on the day of the 2025 Pride Parade in London
A ‘Youth Demand’ activist reacts as she glues herself to a truck, on the day of the 2025 Pride Parade in London
Paddy Friend, a 25-year-old law student from London who was watching the protest said: ‘In 2025, we no longer have freedom of speech. We can no longer go down to Parliament Square and hold a sign.
‘I’m here because I’m terrified. I’m absolutely terrified about this country and I hope to be as brave as these people (protesting), I really do because we cannot let this happen.
‘If now isn’t the time for hundreds and thousands of us to come together and stand against this, then when’s it going to be?
‘All arms exports (to Israel) need to stop. We need to stop providing military assistance, we need to cut off all diplomatic ties with Israel.’
The group posted on social media: ‘The proscription of Palestine Action is the most sinister escalation we’ve seen yet in this government’s actions to silence those who resist genocide.
‘Whilst the UK sends weapons to Israel and flies spy planes over Gaza, it terrorises those standing against it at home with unprecedented repression.’
The proposal to ban Palestine Action was approved by both the House of Commons and the House of Lords earlier this week.
Currently, 81 organisations are already proscribed under the 2000 Act, including Hamas, al Qaida, and National Action.
Palestine Action’s social media pages were removed overnight on Friday, with leaders stating this was due to the risk of people being prosecuted for liking or sharing posts online.
A Home Office spokesperson said on Saturday: ‘We welcome the Court’s decision and Palestine Action are now a proscribed group.
‘The Government will always take the strongest possible action to protect our national security and our priority remains maintaining the safety and security of our citizens.’
Bikers motorcycle club take part in the pride parade that brings together 500 groups
Pro-Palestine protesters from Youth Demand throw red paint and glue themselves to the lead float during the annual Pride parade in London
Police officers detain a “Youth Demand” activist, on the day of the 2025 Pride Parade in London
The parade was delayed for about an hour while the protesters were removed and five people arrested
Picture shows groups at the Pride parade in London today
The move to ban the organisation was announced after two Voyager aircraft were damaged at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on June 20, an incident claimed by Palestine Action, which police said caused around £7 million of damage.
In a letter to the Home Secretary, protesters said: ‘We do not wish to go to prison or to be branded with a terrorism conviction. But we refuse to be cowed into silence by your order.’
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced plans to proscribe Palestine Action on June 23, stating that the vandalism of the two planes was ‘disgraceful’ and that the group had a ‘long history of unacceptable criminal damage’.
MPs in the Commons voted 385 to 26, majority 359, in favour of proscribing the group on Wednesday, before the House of Lords backed the move without a vote on Thursday.
Four people – Amy Gardiner-Gibson, 29, Jony Cink, 24, Daniel Jeronymides-Norie, 36, and Lewis Chiaramello, 22 – have all been charged in connection with the incident at Brize Norton.
They appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday after being charged with conspiracy to enter a prohibited place knowingly for a purpose prejudicial to the safety or interests of the United Kingdom, and conspiracy to commit criminal damage, under the Criminal Law Act 1977.
