One hundred and fifty individuals taken into custody by London authorities during a protest championing the Palestine Action group, which has been prohibited.
In a novel and unprecedented move, the UK government has proscribed Palestine Action, a protest group founded in 2020, as a terrorist organisation under the Terrorism Act 2000. This decision comes after a series of direct actions by the group, including breaking into a Royal Air Force base and vandalising planes in protest against Britain’s support for Israel.
The group, which was co-founded by Huda Ammori and Richard Barnard, has been active since its inception, primarily focusing on ending Israeli apartheid. They first gained attention by breaking into the UK headquarters of the Israeli defence company Elbit Systems, vandalising the facility. During the 2021 Israel-Palestine crisis, their activities increased, and they organised protests focused on opposing Israel’s military activities and arms production.
The group's motivations centre on Palestinian solidarity and opposition to Israeli military and apartheid policies. Their activities include direct actions aimed at disrupting defence contractors linked to Israel, reflecting a radical form of protest against the Israeli state and its supporters in the UK.
The recent incident at RAF Brize Norton in July 2025, where two Royal Air Force refueling planes were vandalised, is said to have been a key trigger for the government's decision. The alleged damages amounted to around £7 million. However, official assessments acknowledge that while much of the group’s activity involves criminal acts like property damage, it does not typically endorse violence against people.
The proscription of Palestine Action marks a rare and controversial use of terrorism legislation against a protest group. Legal challenges are ongoing, with supporters arguing that their actions aim to influence political outcomes and therefore should not be classified as terrorism under UK law. Huda Ammori, the co-founder of Palestine Action, has secured leave to bring a legal challenge against the prohibition.
The Metropolitan Police in London arrested 150 people at a protest against the government's decision to ban the group. The protest, which took place in Parliament Square, saw protesters holding signs such as, "I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action", and chanting "shame on you" and "hands off Gaza". Some protesters were wearing black and white Palestinian scarves, and waving placards expressing support for the group.
The Metropolitan Police is making further arrests related to the protest, and the legal challenge against the ban on Palestine Action was reported by Reuters. The protest was filmed by Reuters, providing a visual record of the event.
As a result of the ban, membership of Palestine Action is now criminalised, with a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison. The group's actions against Britain's support for Israel have been deemed as criminal under anti-terrorism legislation.
References:
- BBC News
- Reuters
- The Guardian
- The Independent
- The Times
- The proscription of Palestine Action has sparked a wave of political discourse, with discussions now centered around policy-and-legislation and war-and-conflicts, as the debate continues on whether the group's activities should be classified as terrorism under UK law.
- General-news outlets are heavily covering the ban on Palestine Action, with the legal challenge led by co-founder Huda Ammori attracting widespread attention and generating debates about the intersection of politics and civil disobedience.
