Violent demonstration against the questionable Palestine Operation results in the apprehension of 365 individuals in the heart of London
In a controversial move, the UK government has outlawed Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act 2000, following the group's actions at a military airbase in June 2025. Members of Palestine Action vandalized military aircraft, an act that the government deems as "serious damage to property" under UK counter-terrorism legislation.
The outlawing of Palestine Action has significant implications for civil liberties, legal definitions of terrorism, and political discourse in the UK. Critics, including UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk, Amnesty International, and civil liberties groups, warn that this represents a misuse of counter-terrorism laws, suppressing legitimate protest and free speech, and risks chilling broader anti-war and pro-Palestinian activism in the UK.
Since the ban, over 200 arrests of protesters have occurred, highlighting heightened police powers and enforcement activity. The maximum penalty for supporting or belonging to Palestine Action is up to 14 years in prison. This decision has also led to potential erosion of public trust in counter-terrorism policing, especially in programmes like PREVENT reliant on community cooperation.
Political backlash is also a concern, as public opinion in the UK has grown more critical of the government’s stance toward Israel, risking alienation of voters supportive of Palestinian rights. The move also sets a precedent for expanding terrorism laws to target non-violent direct action groups, raising concerns about broader restrictions on peaceful protest and dissent.
Meanwhile, in international affairs, tensions continue to escalate. Russia has captured Ukrainian territory in July, although the exact amount has not been specified, and expressed concern about potential destabilization in the South Caucasus. Iran has expressed concern over a possible "foreign intervention" after the agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
In a separate incident, the London Metropolitan Police arrested 365 people for supporting Palestine Action on Saturday. Seven additional arrests were made for offences other than supporting the banned organization, five of which were for assaulting police officers. The estimated damages from the break-in at the airbase are 7 million pounds (8.1 million euros).
Lawyers for Palestine Action argued that the outlawing of the organization represents an "authoritarian abuse of power." This argument was made on BBC Radio. However, the government of Keir Starmer supported the outlawing of the group following the airbase incident.
References:
- Amnesty International UK, "UK: Outlawing Palestine Action a misuse of counter-terrorism laws," 2025.
- Human Rights Watch, "UK: Outlawing Palestine Action risks suppressing free speech," 2025.
- The Guardian, "UK government outlaws Palestine Action under terrorism laws," 2025.
- The Independent, "UK government's decision to outlaw Palestine Action sparks controversy and concern," 2025.
- BBC News, "UK outlaws Palestine Action under terrorism laws," 2025.
- The police actions against Palestine Action supporters, following the group's outlawing under the Terrorism Act 2000, have led to debates about the misuse of counter-terrorism laws, freedom of speech, and peaceful protest in UK politics and general news.
- The government's policy-and-legislation decisions, such as the outlawing of Palestine Action, have reignited discussions about the broad interpretation of terrorism, the potential restrictions on civil liberties, and the implications for domestic and international politics.
