UK court allows terrorism ban on Palestine Action to take effect

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
4 Jul 2025 21:04
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The ruling means that as of midnight, being a member of or supporting the group could lead to prison sentences of up to 14 years.

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A demonstrator hold up a red painted placard during a protest by Palestine Action group in London, Monday, June 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

A British judge has allowed the government's designation of pro-Palestine campaign group Palestine Action as a terrorist organization to take immediate effect, rejecting a legal request to delay the decision. The ruling means that as of midnight, being a member of or supporting the group could lead to prison sentences of up to 14 years.

The decision comes on the heels of a June 20 direct action at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, where four Palestine Action members entered the military base and splashed red paint on two aircraft. The symbolic protest, which the group said was intended to spotlight Britain's role in enabling Israeli aggression in Gaza, has since been used to justify sweeping legal reprisals. The four activists have been charged with terrorism-related offenses and remain in custody, awaiting a July 18 court date at the Old Bailey.

Palestine Action's co-founder Huda Ammori petitioned the High Court to pause the ban until a full hearing on its legality could take place later this month. However, Judge Martin Chamberlain ruled against her, effectively endorsing the government's unprecedented use of counterterrorism laws to target a grassroots campaign group.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has pushed the narrative that Palestine Action's direct actions, largely aimed at disrupting arms manufacturers with ties to Israel, amount to criminal violence. In justifying the ban, she labeled the recent air base protest a "disgraceful attack" and claimed the group had orchestrated "a nationwide campaign of direct criminal action."

Criminalized Resistance

Palestine Action, founded in 2020, has consistently employed non-lethal tactics, such as paint, lock-ons, and sit-ins, to disrupt companies supplying weapons to "Israel." The group argues that such methods are necessary in the face of Britain's complicity in Israeli war crimes. These include the ongoing bombardment of Gaza, which has killed thousands of civilians and devastated infrastructure since October 7, 2023.

Representing Ammori in court, lawyer Raza Husain denounced the proscription as "an ill-considered, discriminatory, authoritarian abuse of statutory power," and warned that it sets a dangerous precedent by branding direct action for justice as terrorism.

Although the ban has now come into force, the broader legal challenge to its legitimacy is expected to be heard later this month. For many, the case reflects a growing crackdown on Palestine solidarity and the criminalization of moral resistance.