The British police have detained dozens of protesters for supporting the pro-Palestinian campaign group, Palestine Action, a week after the UK government officially designated the activist group a “terrorist organization.”

The Metropolitan Police said in a post on X on Saturday that its forces have arrested 41 people for expressing support for “a proscribed organization,” adding that another person was taken into custody on charges of common assault.

They later said in a mid-afternoon update that the area was cleared.

Earlier in the day, the Met said a statement on X that “We are responding to a protest in support of Palestine Action,” adding that “Officers are in the process of making arrests.”

This came after a group of protesters gathered at the steps of the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament Square, defying a warning from the Metropolitan Police, who stated that they would take action against anyone showing support for the banned group ahead of the planned protests.