UK Palestine Action ban unlawful – court

The government’s move to outlaw the group triggered a wave of bizarre arrests and was “disproportionate,” the British High Court has found

The UK High Court has ruled that the government’s decision to ban the activist group Palestine Action as a terrorist organization was unlawful.

The ruling, delivered on Friday, found the proscription of the group “disproportionate” and in breach of rights to freedom of expression and assembly, and is being seen as a blow to London’s counterterrorism policy. 

The ban took effect in July 2025 after Palestine Action activists broke into the RAF’s Brize Norton base and damaged two aircraft in protest against British military support for Israel’s war in Gaza. The designation placed the group alongside Islamic State and Al-Qaeda, making membership or support punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Even displaying the group’s name on clothing or placards became a criminal offense carrying a six-month sentence.

The proscription followed a relentless pressure campaign launched by pro-Israel groups such as We Believe in Israel, the Israeli Embassy in London, as well as lobbyists from Israel’s largest private arms manufacture Elbit Systems, according to internal government documents.

Since the ban, more than 2,700 people have been arrested for expressing support for Palestine Action at demonstrations, according to campaign group Defend Our Juries. Those detained included pensioners, a former magistrate, and retired doctors, with hundreds subsequently charged under terrorism legislation.

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The crackdown also prompted the largest coordinated prison hunger strike in the UK in decades, with activists refusing food for up to 73 days to protest the terrorism designation and their prolonged detention.

The legal challenge was brought by Huda Ammori, one of the group’s co-founders. Her lawyers argued the ban was unprecedented and disproportionately targeted peaceful protest. In a 46-page judgment, Dame Victoria and fellow justices concluded that “the nature and scale of Palestine Action’s activities falling within the definition of terrorism had not yet reached the level, scale and persistence to warrant proscription.”

The ban, however, will remain in force pending a government appeal. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood expressed disappointment with the ruling and confirmed the government intends to fight the judgment in the Court of Appeal.