What is Palestine Action? Group fights banned status
High Court rules UK government’s decision to ban Palestine Action under anti-terror laws was "unlawful"
The High Court has ruled that the UK government's decision to ban the protest group Palestine Action was unlawful.
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On Friday, law experts ruled that ministers acted unlawfully when they proscribed the direct action network as a terrorist organisation last year.
From July last year being a member of, or showing support for, Palestine Action became an offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison under a controversial judgement - a decision which led to large scale protests coordinated by groups including Cage International and Defend Our Juries.
Read also: Home Office welcomes Palestine Action proscription after being designated a terror group
What is Palestine Action?
Palestine Action was formed in 2020 by Huda Ammori and Richard Barnard with the primary aim of stopping British arms being exported to Israel.
It has nothing to do with Palestine Solidarity Campaign, which regularly carries out marches in London.
Why was Palestine Action banned?
As well as protesting and campaigning on behalf of their cause, Palestine Action has also taken more physical action, with five people having been charged by counter-terrorism police for damaging aircraft at Brize Norton in June.
Home secretary Yvette Cooper said this was one part of a "long history of unacceptable criminal damage” caused by the group.
The group was designated as a terror group at the beginning of July 2025 which means that membership of or support for Palestine Action is a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
The group tried to appeal this and lost in the High Court, however, at the end of July it won an appeal to challenge the banned status.
What has happened now and what next?
The High Court ruled in February that the decision by the government was unlawful and for the ban be quashed.
In a summary, Dame Victoria Sharp said: "The court considered that the proscription of Palestine Action was disproportionate.
"A very small number of Palestine Action's activities amounted to acts of terrorism within the definition of section 1 of the 2000 Act.
"For these, and for Palestine Action's other criminal activities, the general criminal law remains available.
"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.
"Proscription did result in a significant interference with the right to freedom of speech and the right to freedom of assembly."
Details of lifting the ban will be decided and completed at a later date.
The government has said it will appeal against the decision.
Home secretary Shabana Mahmood, said: “The Court has acknowledged that Palestine Action has carried out acts of terrorism, celebrated those who have taken part in those acts and promoted the use of violence.
“It has also concluded that Palestine Action is not an ordinary protest or civil disobedience group, and that its actions are not consistent with democratic values and the rule of law.
“For those reasons, I am disappointed by the Court’s decision and disagree with the notion that banning this terrorist organisation is disproportionate."