British police arrested Swedish activist Greta Thunberg during a pro-Palestinian protest in London on Tuesday, according to Britain-based campaign group Defend Our Juries.
The group said Thunberg was arrested under the Terrorism Act after holding a sign indicating support for prisoners associated with Palestine Action, an organization the British government has designated a terrorist group.
Why was Greta Thunberg arrested?
A spokesman for the City of London Police said two people had previously been arrested for throwing red paint on a building.
“A short time later, a 22-year-old woman also arrived at the scene,” a police spokesperson said in a statement. “He has been arrested for displaying an object [in this case a placard] in support of a specified organization [in this case Palestine Action] “Contrary to Section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000.”
The Palestinian activist group Prisoners for Palestine said Thunberg was holding a placard that read, “I support the Prisoners of Palestine crackdown. I oppose genocide.”
Many experts, including those appointed by the UN body, have said that Israel’s offensive in Gaza amounts to genocide. Israel vehemently denies this claim.
Thunberg has previously spoken out about the hunger strikers, who are in prison awaiting trial after showing support for the Palestine action.
Defend Our Juries said Tuesday’s protests targeted a building used by an insurance company that, according to the group, provides services to the British branch of Israeli defense company Elbit Systems.
The group says it exists to highlight the undermining of the legal process for people acting on their conscience. It has, in particular, supported the actions of the Just Stop Oil and Insulate Britain climate campaigners, as well as those opposing the Ban on Palestine action.
Why is Palestine Action Group banned?
In June 2025, the UK Home Office announced plans to designate Palestine Action as a designated terrorist organization after activists vandalized an air force base.
The group vandalized two Royal Air Force Airbus A330 MRTT refueling planes, sprayed red paint on their engines and caused damage, a move the government said went beyond protest and posed a serious threat to national security.
The terrorist organization designation makes it a criminal offense to support the group, display its symbols or publicly express support for it.
The decision was controversial and has been challenged by civil liberties groups, who argue that the group’s actions constitute criminal damage rather than terrorism.
Edited by: Roshni Majumdar