UK Court Clears Way for Terrorist Ban on Palestine Action

Britain has moved to outlaw the direct-action campaign group Palestine Action after the House of Commons voted 385–26 on 2 July to add the organisation to the list of proscribed terrorist groups under the Terrorism Act 2000. The measure, presented by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, also covers the neo-Nazi Maniacs Murder Cult and the Russian Imperial Movement. The House of Lords endorsed the order the following day, making membership of or support for Palestine Action a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

Palestine Action sought an eleventh-hour reprieve, arguing in the High Court that the ban would chill legitimate protest and amounted to an “authoritarian abuse” of power. Justice Martin Chamberlain rejected the request for interim relief on 4 July, saying the public interest favoured keeping the order in force; the Court of Appeal upheld that decision hours later. As a result, the proscription will take effect from midnight on 5 July, although the group plans to pursue a full judicial review later this month.

The government’s move followed a series of high-profile protests, including a 20 June break-in at RAF Brize Norton during which activists sprayed red paint on two Voyager transport aircraft, causing an estimated £7 million in damage. Ministers say the group’s escalating tactics pose a national-security risk, while United Nations experts and several MPs warn the ban sets a troubling precedent for classifying non-violent civil disobedience as terrorism.