Palestine Action clashes with police after government 'bans' them under anti-terror laws

23 June 2025, 13:49 | Updated: 23 June 2025, 17:03

Protesters in support of Palestine Action have clashed with police as the government moves to ban the civil disobedience group.

Hundreds of protesters waving Palestinian flags gathered in Trafalgar Square to protest the government's plans to ban the group under anti-terror laws.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper confirmed the decision to ban Palestine Action on Monday, which will make it illegal to be a member of the group.

Many have criticised the drastic measure, claiming it violates the right to protest and free speech.

The protest, which started relatively peacefully, quickly turned chaotic when police stormed into the crowd and detained a number of protesters, after one of them allegedly pushed a police officer.

The officers were surrounded by loud protesters chanting "let them go" and "shame on you", as well as "we are all Palestine Action".

It is unclear if a police officer was actually pushed, or why the other protesters were detained.

Palestinian Action Protesters gather in Trafalgar Square

People carried signs, including one which read: “Proscribe the real terrorists in the UK government. Hands off Pal Action!”

The protesters chanted “We are all Palestine Action”, and “Free, free Palestine. End, end apartheid. End the genocide. We are all Palestine Action.”

Tensions remain as increasing numbers of police officers descend on the area, and protesters block the surrounding roads.

It comes after the original protest planned outside the Houses of Parliament was banned, prompting the group to move it to Trafalgar Square.

But the square is more cramped than usual as workers are taking down a stage and fences that were set up for West End Live, causing protesters to gather in one small corner.

Palestinian Action Protesters gather in Trafalgar Square

A counter-terror investigation has been launched after two activists from the group broke into RAF Brize Norton and damaged military aircraft in a high-profile security breach at the UK’s largest airbase last week.

Video footage posted online shows the pair riding electric scooters across the runway before targeting two Airbus Voyager aircraft – spraying red paint into their engines using repurposed fire extinguishers. Crowbars were also used to cause further damage to the planes.

Palestine Action says it was a direct intervention to halt British support for Israel, claiming the UK is “an active participant” in what it calls “genocide” in Gaza.

The group said: “Despite publicly condemning the Israeli government, Britain continues to send military cargo, fly spy planes over Gaza and refuel US/Israeli jets. By decommissioning two military planes, we’ve broken the chains of oppression.”

Palestinian Action Protesters gather in Trafalgar Square

Rachel Reeves has condemned Palestine Action ahead of the Home Secretary announcing her decision on whether to proscribe the group later today.

Asked whether Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley should be able to ban Monday’s demonstration, the Chancellor told broadcasters: “What I would say about Palestine Action is that their behaviours in the last few weeks, and particularly in the last few days, are totally unacceptable.

“To cause damage to military assets, but also to cause such damage to privately owned assets, it is unacceptable whatever your views are on what’s happening in the Middle East.

Read more: Costs of damage from Palestine Action attacks at RAF Brize Norton will total 'at least £30million'

Read more: Palestine Action 'to be banned' after breaking into RAF Brize Norton and damaging military aircraft

Pro-Palestine protesters ‘damage RAF planes at Brize Norton’

“These actions are unacceptable and the Home Secretary will be making a statement to Parliament later today.”

On Sunday, Metropolitan Police chief Sir Mark said he was “shocked and frustrated” at the protest supporting what he called an “organised extremist criminal group” as the force imposed an exclusion zone around Westminster.

He said that until the group is proscribed, the Met has “no power in law” to prevent the protest taking place, adding that breaches of the law would be “dealt with robustly”.

Palestine Action posted footage online showing two people inside the base at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on Friday morning.

The clip shows one person riding an electric scooter up to an Airbus Voyager air-to-air refuelling tanker and appearing to spray paint into its jet engine.

Palestine Action has staged a series of demonstrations in recent months, including spraying the London offices of Allianz Insurance with red paint over its alleged links to Israeli defence company Elbit, and vandalising US President Donald Trump’s Turnberry golf course in South Ayrshire.

But Baroness Shami Chakrabarti told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Monday that plans to ban the group would mark a very serious step.

The former shadow attorney general said: “From what I can tell, this is a militant protest group that engages in direct action and that includes criminality, no question, but to elevate that to terrorism so anybody who attends a meeting, or who promotes the organisation, or is loosely affiliated with it, is branded a terrorist – that is a serious escalation I think.”

The former director of the Liberty human rights group added: “No doubt the Home Secretary will come to Parliament today and she will explain her reasoning and announce what she is actually going to do.

Palestine Action explains reason behind RAF base break-in

“I think this is a very serious step and I would share the concerns of Amnesty International, of Liberty, my former group, and others that this may be an escalation too far.”

A spokesperson for Palestine Action previously accused the UK of failing to meet its obligation to prevent or punish genocide.

The spokesperson said: “When our Government fails to uphold their moral and legal obligations, it is the responsibility of ordinary citizens to take direct action. The terrorists are the ones committing a genocide, not those who break the tools used to commit it.”

The Home Secretary has the power to proscribe an organisation under the Terrorism Act of 2000 if she believes it is “concerned in terrorism”.

Proscription will require Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to lay an order in Parliament, which must then be debated and approved by both MPs and peers.

Some 81 organisations have been proscribed under the 2000 Act, including Islamist terrorist groups such as Hamas and al Qaida, far-right groups such as National Action, and Russian private military company the Wagner Group.

Belonging to or expressing support for a proscribed organisation, along with a number of other actions, are criminal offences carrying a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.