The UK Home Office announced plans to give British police greater powers to control repeated protests, following the arrest of nearly 500 pro-Palestinian activists in central London on Saturday.

Demonstrators had gathered in Trafalgar Square to support the banned group Palestine Action, despite calls to cancel the protest after a recent synagogue attack in Manchester.

The expanded powers would allow senior officers to relocate or ban “repeat protests” based on their cumulative impact, with violators facing arrest and prosecution.

Since Palestine Action was designated a terror organization in July, over 2,000 people have been arrested at similar demonstrations, many of them elderly or disabled, CNN has reported.

Critics warn the measures threaten freedom of speech, arguing that applying terrorism laws to protest groups sets a dangerous precedent for civil liberties.