UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper Moves to Proscribe Palestine Action After RAF Plane Vandalism; Group Files Legal Challenge

The United Kingdom government has decided to proscribe the activist group Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation following an incident at RAF Brize Norton, the UK's largest air force base in Oxfordshire. In early June 2025, two activists from Palestine Action broke into the base using electric scooters and vandalized two Royal Air Force planes by spraying them with red paint, symbolizing Gaza's bloodshed, and using crowbars. The Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, announced the decision to ban the group under the Terrorism Act 2000, citing a history of criminal damage and willingness to use violence. A draft proscription order is scheduled to be laid before Parliament on June 30, 2025; if approved, it will make membership in or support for Palestine Action illegal, placing the group alongside other banned organisations such as Hamas, al-Qaeda, and Islamic State.

The government described the group as a threat to national security and stated the ban was a legitimate response to their actions. In response, Palestine Action has initiated legal proceedings to challenge the government's decision, with the UK High Court granting the group an urgent hearing and permission to apply for interim relief to suspend the proscription pending judicial review. Meanwhile, activists from Palestine Action have continued direct actions, including occupying the rooftop of Guardtech in Suffolk, a supplier to Israel's largest weapons manufacturer, Elbit Systems, disrupting its operations. The government has also banned Palestine Action from protesting at Parliament amid the ongoing legal and political developments.