What a UK court’s backing of the Palestine Action ‘terror’ ban means
The UK Court of Appeals ruled that Britain was right to proscribe Palestine Action – what happens next? The United Kingdom’s Court of Appeal has
The UK Court of Appeals ruled that Britain was right to proscribe Palestine Action – what happens next? The United Kingdom’s Court of Appeal has ruled that the British government was right to proscribe the Palestine Action activist group as a “terrorist” organisation last year. Palestine Action is a British protest group which was founded six years ago and describes itself as a movement “committed to ending global participation in Israel’s genocidal and apartheid regime”. On Monday, police made more arrests of protesters demonstrating in support of Palestine Action outside the Court of Appeal in London. Since the group’s proscription, which also bans support for proscribed groups, about 3,000 people have been arrested. The Metropolitan Police welcomed the ruling and said it would continue to arrest those who protest in support of the group. Here is what we know about the ruling What has the Court of Appeal ruled? The judgement released on Monday states: “The proscription of an organisation like Palestine Action is highly controversial. But it is a fundamental mistake to overlook the fact that Palestine Action overtly promotes unlawful violence amounting to terrorism”. The ruling was made by a five-strong panel, including the two most senior judges in England and Wales. Palestine Action, which was formally proscribed by the UK last July, is a British protest group founded six years ago. It says it uses “disruptive tactics” to target “corporate enablers” and companies involved in the manufacture of weapons for Israel, such as Israeli group Elbit Systems, Italian aerospace company Leonardo, French multinational Thales and Teledyne from the United States.
The group has targeted British facilities linked to those companies. In all, British police say action by the group has resulted in millions of pounds of criminal damage. A court in London ruled on June 12 that four Palestine Action members convicted of criminal damage at a British facility owned by Israeli weapons group Elbit Systems near Bristol, west England, would be sentenced on the basis that their actions had a “terrorist connection”. Why was this case brought? Following the proscription of Palestine Action last year, the group’s co-founder, Huda Ammori, challenged the decision in the High Court. In February, the High Court ruled that the government’s “terror group” ban was unlawful and disproportionate. The government immediately said it would appeal. “I am disappointed by the court’s decision and disagree with the notion that banning this terrorist organisation is disproportionate,” Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said. The judgement on Monday agreed with her. Its ruling states: “The Home Secretary had the institutional competence and the democratic accountability to make the decision. The Proscription Decision was consistent with the Home Secretary’s Proscription Policy and was proportionate. It was not unlawful.” Why did the UK proscribe Palestine Action? On June 20, 2025, Palestine Action activists broke into the Royal Air Force base at Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and sprayed two military aircraft with red paint. Days after the Brize Norton attack, members of parliament voted in favour of proscribing the group. That classified Palestine Action as a “terrorist” organisation, bringing it into the same category as armed groups such as al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS).
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