UK was warned Palestine Action ban could boost group's public support
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A government document had warned UK ministers that banning Palestine Action could raise its profile and deepen tensions, as support for Palestine and criticism of arms exports to "Israel" grow.
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Police officers monitor protesters holding a banner during a protest in support of anti-"Israel", pro-Palestinian group Palestine Action, in Trafalgar Square, central London, on June 23, 2025. (Henry Nicholls / AFP)
UK ministers were warned by government advisors that banning Palestine Action could backfire by increasing the group's popularity and visibility, according to an internal document obtained by investigative website The Detail and shared with The Guardian.
The classified briefing, prepared in March by officials from the Home Office and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government with input from counter-terrorism police, cautioned that proscribing the group could “inadvertently enhance” its profile among sections of the British public critical of UK arms exports to “Israel”.
Despite these warnings, the United Kingdom formally banned Palestine Action three months later, using counter-terrorism legislation to proscribe the group.
Read more: Leaked UK intel exposes flawed ban on Palestine Action
Government brief cited risk to civil liberties and rising tensions
The document, described as a community impact assessment, noted that the group had a lower profile than other direct action movements such as Just Stop Oil, but that its actions, including property damage and high-profile arrests, often garnered media attention.
Under a section titled “How would the proscription of the organisation be viewed by British people”, the briefing warned that banning the group risked becoming “a flashpoint for significant controversy and criticism.”
It also highlighted concerns about civil liberties, stating that some in government and the wider public might interpret the ban as “a creep of terrorism powers into the realm of free expression and protest.”
The document acknowledged that the move could deepen Muslim-Jewish community tensions in the UK and be perceived as evidence of government bias toward "Israel".
Polls show growing solidarity with Palestine in UK
Polling cited in the document reflected a shift in public opinion on the war on Gaza, noting that 60% of Britons believed "Israel" had gone too far, and that a similar number supported banning arms exports to "Israel".
The briefing stated, “These are positions around which PAG (Palestine Action Group) forms its identity, organising explicitly to resist Israel’s weapons trade in Britain.”
It concluded that proscription could raise the group’s profile and attract support “among similarly minded members of the public who oppose the British footprint in the Israeli arms industry.”
The document further noted that, at the time, there was a “general lack of awareness” among the wider public about Palestine Action. It suggested that while some might remain unconcerned, others, if informed, could see the move as an attack on civil liberties.
Read more: Out of 270 journalists, 'Israel' killed 44 in Gaza displacement tents
Ban followed alleged RAF site damage by activists
The decision to proceed with the ban was announced in June by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, shortly after activists from Palestine Action were accused of causing significant damage at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. Government officials cited the incident as justification, calling the group’s campaign a threat to national security infrastructure.
A Home Office spokesperson defended the decision, saying, “Palestine Action has conducted an escalating campaign involving criminal damage to Britain’s national security infrastructure, intimidation, and alleged violence. That activity puts the safety and security of the public at risk.”
Public awareness and support for Palestine Action increase
In the aftermath of the ban, thousands of people took to the streets holding signs reading “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action”, with some arrested under the new terrorism designation.
Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori responded to the document’s findings, stating, “Awareness of the issues and popularity of the group have grown exponentially. The ban has backfired.”
The Cabinet Office, the briefing revealed, had also commissioned monthly surveys to monitor community tensions in relation to the ongoing war on Gaza and the UK’s position on Palestine.
While the UK government continues to back "Israel" and criminalize expressions of solidarity with Palestine, grassroots support for movements like Palestine Action appears to be expanding, fueled in part by public opposition to UK arms exports to "Israel" and broader concerns over protest and civil liberties in the UK.
