US activists staged a high-profile demonstration at the
British embassy in Washington, DC, decrying UK and US complicity in Israel's
ongoing actions in Gaza, with CODEPINK’s Medea Benjamin denouncing mass arrests
of pro-Palestinian demonstrators as a violation of free speech.
Pro-Palestine Rally Condemns UK and US Policies
US pro-Palestine activists assembled outside the British embassy on Wednesday, drawing international attention to what they called
“nearly two years of genocidal war on Gaza,”
as widely reported in The New Arab
and corroborated by footage circulating across social media platforms.
Protesters poured red dye across a crosswalk to symbolise the bloodshed in
Gaza, holding placards with messages demanding action and solidarity, including
slogans like “Intervention now” and “All eyes on Gaza.”
CODEPINK and the Crackdown on Pro-Palestinian Dissent
As reported by The New Arab, Medea Benjamin—co-founder of US activist group CODEPINK—strongly criticised the British government’s recent moves to proscribe the direct action group Palestine Action as a “terrorist” organisation, which resulted in the arrest of at least 890 demonstrators over the prior weekend. Benjamin stated:
“Arresting hundreds for free speech makes a mockery of the UK’s claim to be a democratic country that respects human rights.”
CODEPINK has publicly declared solidarity with detained activists,
asserting that “opposing genocide is not a crime.”
Rallies Across the US Capital and Beyond
The embassy protest was not an isolated event. On Tuesday, CODEPINK also organised a demonstration at a seafood restaurant during a visit by President Donald Trump and his cabinet in Washington, DC. According to The New Arab, protesters unfurled Palestinian flags and called for an end to both local and international oppression, chanting,
“Free D.C.! Free Palestine! Trump is the Hitler of our time!”
UK Protests Against Israeli Leadership Visits
While protests unfolded in the US, further demonstrations took place in London against UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Activists and legal groups, including the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP), voiced calls for Herzog's arrest during his UK visit due to Israel’s ongoing military campaigns in Gaza, as well as airstrikes extending to Syria, Lebanon, Qatar, and Yemen. The ICJP has written to Scotland Yard urging police to consider investigating Herzog for
“alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity, torture, and actions that constitute plausible genocide.”
Crackdown on Palestine Action and Free Speech Debate
Coverage from Al Jazeera and the BBC underscores that UK
police recently arrested hundreds supporting Palestine Action following the
group’s proscription as a terrorist organisation, highlighting concerns about
the curtailing of political protest rights in Britain. According to Al Jazeera’s
reporters, more than 500 participants reportedly pledged to risk arrest by
publicly supporting the banned group, and rallies drew widespread condemnation
from rights groups and Jewish Britons, who described the ban as “illegitimate
and unethical.”
Context: Charges of War Crimes and International Reactions
International backlash has intensified, with more than 800 Western government officials—across the US, EU, and the UK—recently warning their own administrations of complicity in “grave violations of international law,” as reported by Paul Adams for the BBC. The officials’ statement criticised their governments for
“facilitating one of the worst human catastrophes of this century”
through military aid and diplomatic support for
Israel’s operations in Gaza.
Media Solidarity and Ongoing Dissent
Major international media outlets, coordinated by Reporters
Without Borders, have also protested against the dangers facing journalists in
Gaza and the suppression of press freedom amid the conflict, as documented by
Thibaut Bruttin and Al Jazeera journalists. These organisations demand
accountability for attacks on reporters and press for the protection of both
activists and journalists covering dissent against the Gaza war.
Diplomatic Fallout and Government Statements
While the protests have sparked widespread debate, official reactions from US and UK authorities remain firm. London’s Metropolitan Police Service confirmed hundreds of arrests for “supporting a proscribed terrorist organisation” and “conspiracy to cause criminal damage,” notably regarding direct actions at diplomatic properties such as the British and US embassies. According to Areeba Hamid, co-executive director at Greenpeace UK, whose members were involved in recent embassy protests:
“US weapons continue to fuel an indiscriminate war that's seen bombs dropped on schools and hospitals, entire neighborhoods blasted to rubble, and tens of thousands of Palestinian lives obliterated.”
Global Outrage Amplified
The convergence of legal activism, mass demonstrations, and
coordinated global protests points to increasing scrutiny of Western
governments’ roles in the ongoing Gaza conflict. International groups and local
activists alike are demanding immediate action, humanitarian aid, suspension of
arms sales, and accountability for what they describe as “genocide,” “war
crimes,” and gross violations of international law.
As the crisis in Gaza persists and diplomatic stances harden, protests at Western embassies and calls for accountability continue to draw global attention to what protest leaders call
“the complicity of the US and UK in the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza.”
With mass arrests,
accusations of free speech violations, and legal appeals for war crimes
investigations, the Gaza conflict has reignited debate over human rights,
international law, and the definition of legitimate dissent in Western
capitals.