Extinction Rebellion co-founder who glued himself to da Vinci’s Last Supper among more than 500 protesters arrested for supporting banned group Palestine Action
By MILES DILWORTH AND GEORGE ODLING
Published: 16:48, 11 August 2025 | Updated: 16:55, 11 August 2025
A FOUNDING member of Extinction Rebellion[1] was among more than 500 protesters arrested over the weekend for supporting the banned group Palestine[2] Action.
Simon Bramwell, 53, was pictured being dragged away by four police officers at a demonstration in Parliament Square, London[3], on Saturday.
The former builder was one of hundreds of protesters holding placards declaring, 'I oppose genocide.
I support Palestine Action' in deliberate acts of law-breaking designed to overwhelm police resources and the courts.
It is thought the arrests and anticipated court hearings could cost the taxpayer GBP3million.
Senior Tories[4] yesterday called on Attorney General Lord Hermer to 'enforce the law' and ensure that responsible face prosecution.
Extinction Rebellion co-founder Simon Bramwell, 53, (above) was among more than 500 protesters arrested over the weekend for supporting the banned group Palestine Action
Protesters are pictured sitting in Parliament Square, Westminster, holding placards in support of Palestine Action
Bramwell's arrest comes after The Mail revealed on Saturday[5] that hardcore eco-warriors have joined forces with supporters of Palestine Action, raising fears that Britain could face months of protest chaos.
Experts warned that the 'coalescing' of groups under the banner of Palestine Action could present a 'very serious national security matter'.
Bramwell, originally from Stroud, Gloucestershire, founded Extinction Rebellion in 2018, alongside Dr Gail Bradbrook and Roger Hallam, who went on to lead the hardcore offshoot Just Stop Oil.
He has previously blocked motorways protesting Heathrow expansion, and glued himself to Shell's HQ in London - as well as Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper at The Royal Academy of Arts in Piccadilly.
Lord Walney, the government's former anti-extremism adviser, accused Bramwell and others of 'tacit arms-length endorsement of violence' in a report published last year.
He cited an event in November 2019 in which Bramwell told those gathered that they were 'living in a system where our mere act of non-violence against that system, is perpetrating violence against the rest of the planet'.
Bramwell called on the crowd to 'take down civilisation' and advocated 'civil disobedience and direct sabotage' and 'shutting down fossil fuelling, direct sabotage, mass civil disobedience'.
Lord Walney wrote that, in his view, 'such rhetoric risks inciting others to serious criminality'.
A Met Police spokesman said: 'During the protest in Parliament Square on Saturday, we arrested a 53-year-old man from the Exeter area on suspicion of displaying an article in support of a proscribed organisation (Sec 13 Terrorism Act).'
A protester is carried away by police officers at a 'Lift The Ban' demonstration in support of Palestine Action
A protester is carried away by police officers at a Lift The Ban demonstration in support of the proscribed group Palestine Action
No 10 yesterday defended its decision to ban the organisation under counter-laws, describing it as a 'violent' group that has committed 'significant injury' as well as criminal damage.
Asked on Monday whether the Government was reconsidering its decision to designate the group as a terrorist organisation following mass arrests on Saturday, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'No.
Palestine Action was proscribed based on strong security advice following serious attacks the group has committed involving violence, significant injury and extensive criminal damage[6].'
Downing Street said the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre - an independent authority based within MI5 - had found the organisation had carried out three separate acts of terrorism.
Scotland Yard has said some 522 people were held over the weekend for displaying an item in support of a proscribed group, out of the total 532 arrests made during the policing operation at a march in central London.
The rest comprised six arrests for assaults on officers; one for obstructing a constable in the execution of her duty; two for breaching Public Order Act conditions and one for a racially aggravated public order offence.
The majority of those arrested, 348, were aged 50 or over.
Lord Hermer, Labour 's Attorney General, is being urged to 'enforce the law' following the arrest of more than 500 people at a Palestine Action rally
Cases will now be built against those arrested before a decision is made regarding charges.
Scotland Yard also pointed to how, in some instances, securing a charge for an offence under the Terrorism Act can require the approval of the Attorney General.
The Tories have now piled pressure on Lord Hermer, who has faced intense scrutiny over his past client list while a human rights lawyer[7], not to block further action.
Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, warned the Attorney General that a lack of prosecutions would risk accusations of 'two-tier justice'.
He told the Telegraph: 'If lawbreakers supporting a proscribed terrorist group aren't prosecuted, it will be the clearest example yet of two-tier justice under Two-Tier Keir.
'Lord Hermer needs to enforce the law, not pander to activists he's sympathetic to.'
Speaking to broadcasters yesterday morning, justice minister Alex Davies-Jones said supporters of the group would face 'the full force of the law'.
LondonExtinction Rebellion[8][9]References
- ^ Extinction Rebellion (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Palestine (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ London (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Tories (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ The Mail revealed on Saturday (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ following serious attacks the group has committed involving violence, significant injury and extensive criminal damage (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ faced intense scrutiny over his past client list while a human rights lawyer (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ London (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Extinction Rebellion (www.dailymail.co.uk)