LONDON: A British government minister warned on Sunday that displaying support for Hezbollah constituted a 鈥渃riminal act.鈥�

Science Secretary Peter Kyle said any show of support for the group, a proscribed terrorist group in the UK, should be punished after signs with pro-Hezbollah slogans were seen during a pro-Palestine demonstration in central London over the weekend.

The Metropolitan Police made at least 17 arrests during the protests, including two individuals suspected of supporting banned organizations, .

The force said it was 鈥渁ware鈥� of social media posts showing people 鈥渉olding placards with messages of support for Hezbollah,鈥� adding that the footage had been passed to specialized officers.

Kyle appeared on the Sky News program 鈥淪unday Morning with Trevor Phillips鈥� and stated law enforcement agencies had 鈥渢he full support鈥� of the home secretary, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and the government 鈥渋n doing what they need to do to make sure that criminal acts like that are tackled.鈥�

The protests come amid rising tensions in the Middle East, with Israel conducting targeted raids against Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iran launching missiles into Israel.

The Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks has led to more than 2,600 protests in the UK over the past year, resulting in 550 arrests.

UK political and faith leaders, including Starmer, have called for calm and rejected any incitement of hate, urging communities to unite ahead of the first anniversary of the Hamas attack that has seen around 42,000 people killed, according to Gaza health authorities.

The prime minister, writing in The Sunday Times, said the 鈥渇lames from this deadly conflict now threaten to consume the region,鈥� adding 鈥渢he sparks light touchpapers in our own communities here at home.鈥�

He continued: 鈥淒uring difficult times, our differences and diversity should bind us together more strongly, not drive us apart. But there are always some who would use conflict abroad to stoke conflict here.

鈥淪ince Oct. 7, we have watched vile hatred against Jews and Muslims rise in our communities. Any attack on a minority is an attack on our proud values of tolerance and respect. We will not stand for it.鈥�