British ordinary citizens drawn into Palestine movement over Gaza war

London, United Kingdom – Claire, 52, lives in rural Scotland, not far from Edinburgh. She describes her job as "low-level administration," does not use social media, and lives quietly with her dog, reading and baking in her spare time. Until three years ago, she had never considered herself politically active.

Now she faces up to 14 years in prison on suspicion of expressing support for the proscribed group Palestine Action. Claire, who asked Al Jazeera to withhold her surname, is among many people in Britain who three years ago would never have imagined themselves as activists.

But as the war in Gaza was streamed live, many people rallied around the cause of solidarity with Palestine. Organizations such as Defend Our Juries, Artists for Free Palestine, and Workers for Free Palestine, along with countless similar groups, have sprung up across Britain.

In the summer of 2023, Claire read "I Shall Not Hate" by Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish, a Palestinian doctor in Gaza who lost three daughters to Israeli tank fire. Not long after finishing it, she followed the aftermath of October 7 online. "For me, there was no gap between the phrase 'Israel has the right to defend itself' and the lies," she told Al Jazeera.

She joined a pro-Palestine demonstration on Armistice Day, calling for a ceasefire, and was "horrified" by comments from then-Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who described the protests as "hate marches." "I was determined not to ignore Palestine," she said.

She continued to march, write to her MP, and raise funds for Palestinian aid programs. In August 2025, she began publicly opposing the ban on Palestine Action alongside Defend Our Juries, the group behind a civil disobedience campaign aimed at lifting the ban. To date, more than 3,000 people have been arrested for expressing support for the group banned in 2025.

Earlier this year, police came to Claire's home and arrested her under Sections 11 and 12 of the Terrorism Act: "Membership of a proscribed organization and encouraging others to join a proscribed organization." "I have never been in trouble," she said. "I am not backing down."

Marji, 70, who lives in Colchester, felt similarly after hearing Braverman's remarks. "I had never been on a protest in my life," she said, until she held a "Ceasefire Now" sign at the 2023 Armistice Day march. "I knew it was not a 'hate march.'"

Marji's father served in the British Army, and her father-in-law was in the Royal Air Force and was held as a prisoner of war in Japan during World War II. "Our parents' generation fought fascism," she said. "Now Britain is breaking British law."

Marji, who also asked to be identified only by her first name, had a successful career in financial services, and her husband held an executive position. They are now retired grandparents. In July, they were arrested in Westminster under Section 12 of the Terrorism Act and are waiting to see whether they will be charged.

"We have to decide… whether it is safe for our grandchildren to be here? When the police can come knocking?" Their children remain supportive. "I think they are proud of us, even though they are also afraid."

Across industries, from the arts to the railways, financial services, and administration, British people have accepted professional and legal risks out of solidarity with Palestine. Hundreds of thousands have taken to the streets to protest Israel's campaign in Gaza and what they see as Britain's role in the conflict. They are calling on the British government to halt all arms sales to Israel and cut diplomatic and trade ties as fighting continues in Gaza and violence escalates in the West Bank.

This week, tensions flared again when the Metropolitan Police warned pro-Palestine demonstrators against gathering on the third anniversary of October 7. The force said on Wednesday it had arrested five people outside the Board of Deputies of British Jews in north London on suspicion of "incitement to racial hatred, related to the alleged chanting of a slogan calling for Intifada."

Israel's latest war in the Gaza Strip – it has carried out several since 1948 – began after Hamas, the group that governs Gaza, attacked southern Israel. About 1,200 people were killed that day, and more than 240 were taken hostage, including soldiers, Israeli citizens, and some foreigners.

Since October 7, 2023, relentless Israeli airstrikes have killed more than 74,000 people and devastated Gaza, making life for survivors nearly impossible. The tiny territory is now home to the largest cohort of child amputees in modern history.

"The story we grew up with was wrong – that the people living there were peacefully branded 'terrorists,' when they had endured terrorism," Marji said.

Both Marji and Claire said they believe the British government is "complicit" in the war in Gaza. "The government's involvement, complicity, and lies. Their psychological manipulation makes people even more determined," Claire said.

As legal risk and backlash against pro-Palestine protesters grow, Marji, whose grandmother was Jewish, is more resolute than ever: "We know that saying 'stop genocide' does not mean anti-Semitic. We are not stupid; we can distinguish between Jewish people and those who support an illegal occupation."

Workers for Free Palestine, made up of numerous unions, was founded in late 2023 and soon began organizing protests. "Many people oppose their labor being used to prop up an apartheid state, but are told that individuals can do nothing," a spokesperson told Al Jazeera.

Many workers are concerned about speaking out over their workplace's role in weapons production, investment in Israel, or other ways of enabling the war. "Many people are unfamiliar with their rights and fear the consequences of speaking out – and those consequences can be very real," the spokesperson said.

Yet for some, there is not only determination but also optimism. "Doing nothing makes us feel sick, angry, and helpless," Marji said. "I hope people will wake up and see that our own civil liberties… are being eroded to protect Israel's interests."