UK terrorism ban on Palestine group ruled unlawful
The UK Supreme Court ruled that the government’s decision to designate protest group Palestine Action as a terrorist organization was unlawful, but ruled that the ban would remain in place pending an appeal.
Judges Victoria Sharp, Jonathan Swift and Karen Steyn said the “nature and scale of Palestine Action’s activities” did not meet the “level, scale and persistence” that would justify the ban.
The judges said they were “satisfied that the decision to ban the Palestine Action was disproportionate.”
Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori said the decision was “a monumental victory both for our fundamental freedoms here in Britain and for the Palestinian people’s struggle for freedom, overruling a decision that will forever be remembered as one of the most extreme attacks on freedom of expression in recent British history.”
Home Affairs Minister Shabana Mahmood said she was “disappointed with the court’s decision and disagrees with the idea that banning this terrorist organization is disproportionate.”
“I intend to challenge this decision in the Court of Appeal,” he said in a statement on Friday.
In 2025, the UK government declared the pro-Palestinian group a terrorist organization along with Al Qaeda and Hamas, making membership or support of Palestine Action an offense punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
Since then, more than 2,000 people have been arrested for holding banners saying “I support Palestine Action.”
Supporters of Palestine Action and civil liberties groups say the arrests for peaceful protest disregard the right to freedom of expression and protest.
The government banned Palestine Action after activists stormed a Royal Air Force base in June to protest British military support for Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.
Activists sprayed red paint on the engines of two tanker planes and caused further damage with crowbars.
Since its founding in 2020, Palestine Action has carried out direct action protests at military and industrial facilities in the UK, including trespassing on facilities owned by Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems UK.
Authorities say the group’s actions have caused millions of pounds of damage that will impact national security.
In their decision, the judges stated that “even if a very small number of acts amount to terrorist acts… the criminal law remains open to prosecuting those concerned, regardless of the prohibition.”
