Hundreds are set to join a peaceful protest in London on August 9 calling for the de-proscription of the direct action group Palestine Action, recently designated a terrorist organization by Keir Starmer’s government. The event follows a month of decentralized demonstrations across Britain.

Since Palestine Action was banned at the beginning of July, police have arrested dozens of people – including health workers, pensioners, and students – for holding cardboard signs reading: “I Oppose Genocide. I Support Palestine Action.” In multiple cases, police also raided the homes of those arrested, according to collectives such as Defend Our Juries and We Do Not Comply. While some police forces avoided making arrests, others, including in London, pursued a significantly more aggressive strategy.

Read more: London police arrest peaceful protesters as Palestine Action ban takes effect

The repression escalated ahead of the August 9 protest. Defend Our Juries reported that its website, which hosted legal advice and information for participants, was taken down without notice. Scheduled online briefings were also removed. “Make no mistake, this is the fault of the UK government and their use of anti-terror laws to silence opposition,” the group said.

“It’s embarrassing that the British Government has got itself into such a panic over peaceful people protesting against the genocide in Parliament Square,” they added in a separate statement.

For the past month, opposition to Labour’s ban on Palestine Action continued to grow. Scholars including Angela Davis, Tariq Ali, and Ilan Pappé issued an open letter denouncing the repression and praising “the growing campaign of collective defiance that overturns the ban.” Large human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have urged London police to protect the right to protest on Saturday. “At a time when people are quite rightly outraged by the genocide they see being perpetrated in Gaza, it is more crucial than ever that there is space to peacefully express that outrage,” Amnesty International UK wrote to Police Commissioner Mark Rowley.

Government campaign faces challenges in court

The government’s campaign against Palestine Action also faced setbacks in court. Co-founder Huda Ammori was granted permission to pursue a full judicial review of the ban this fall. If the ruling goes in the group’s favor, many recent arrests could be deemed unlawful, posing further problems for police. Despite this, authorities have not budged in their tactics. Police sources told The Guardian that participants in Saturday’s protest would be arrested: “However we have to do it, they will be arrested for breaking terrorism laws.”

Determination to attend the de-proscription protest and broader mobilizations in support of Palestine remains strong. On the same day, a mass rally will also take place in London to denounce British complicity in the genocide in Gaza.

“We are just ordinary people, but we can’t be bystanders and ignore what is happening,” said Ruth Beth-Tovim, who took part in one of the earlier sign-holding actions, regarding the de-proscription efforts. “We stand to show solidarity, to make visible the brutal implications of this law, and to oppose our government’s role in genocide.”

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