UK High Court rules on Palestinian Action protest group

London- Britain’s High Court ruled on Friday that the government’s decision last year to outlaw the Palestinian Action protest group as a designated terrorist organization was unlawful, but upheld the ban pending an appeal.

Judges Victoria Sharp, Jonathan Swift and Karen Steyn said “the nature and scale of Palestine Action’s activities” did not rise to the “level, scale and persistence” that would justify proscription.

The judges said they were “satisfied that the decision to ban Palestinian Action was disproportionate.”

Palestine Action revels in ‘victory’, government vows to appeal

Huda Ammori, co-founder of Palestine Action, called the decision “a monumental victory both for our fundamental freedoms here in Britain and in the struggle for freedom of the Palestinian people, striking down a decision that will always be remembered as one of the most extreme attacks on freedom of expression in recent British history.”

Home Minister Shabana Mahmood said she was “disappointed by the court’s decision and I do not agree with the idea that banning this terrorist organization is disproportionate.”

“I intend to challenge this ruling in the Court of Appeal,” he said.

Last year, the UK government declared the pro-Palestinian group a terrorist organization alongside Al Qaeda and Hamas, making membership or support for Palestine Action a crime punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Since then, more than 2,000 people have been arrested for holding signs that said: “I support Palestinian Action.”

Supporters of Palestine Action and civil liberties groups say arrests over peaceful protests trample on freedom of expression and the right to protest.

London Police Say Focus Now on Gathering Information, Not ‘Making Arrests’

As supporters of the pro-Palestinian protest group celebrated outside the High Court on Friday, London’s Metropolitan Police acknowledged that the ruling would likely cause “some confusion among the public as to what happens next,” and warned that “the group remains banned pending the outcome of any Government appeal, meaning expressing support remains a criminal offence.”

The force said officers “will continue to identify crimes where support for Palestine Action is expressed, but will focus on gathering evidence of those crimes and the people involved to provide law enforcement opportunities at a later date, rather than making arrests on the spot.”

“This is the most proportionate approach we can take, recognizing the decision reached by the court and at the same time recognizing that the process is not yet fully concluded.”

Palestine Action protests and vandalism

The government banned Palestinian Action in July last year, about a month after activists stormed a Royal Air Force base to protest British military support for Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. Activists sprayed red paint on the engines of two air tankers and caused further damage with crowbars.

Palestine Action has carried out direct action protests at military and industrial sites in the UK since its formation in 2020, including raiding facilities owned by Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems UK. Authorities say the group’s actions have caused millions of pounds of damage affecting national security.

Earlier this month, six members of Palestine Action were acquitted by a jury of aggravated robbery charges for their break-in at an Elbit Systems facility. The activists faced multiple criminal charges, but the jury returned no conviction after more than 36 hours of deliberations.

Before that, Palestine Action said that members He attacked President Trump’s golf resorts in Scotland. in March of last year, vandalizing a clubhouse and green at the Turnberry course in response to his proposal to empty the Gaza Strip of its Palestinian population and have the United States and its allies “take over” the territory.

The group said at the time that it rejected “Donald Trump’s treatment of Gaza as if it were his property and he could dispose of it as he pleased. To be clear, we have shown him that his own property is not safe from acts of resistance.”

Police Scotland said it was investigating the incidents, but no arrests were announced.

In their ruling on Friday, High Court judges said that while “a very small number of” the protest group’s actions “amounted to terrorist actions… regardless of the ban, the criminal law is available to prosecute those involved.”

Palestine Action’s terrorism designation came amid push to address anti-Semitism

In December, following the Terrorist attack on Bondi BeachAustralia, ahead of a Hanukkah event, Britain’s two largest police forces said officers would take a ‘Enhanced approach’ to counter anti-Semitismarresting protesters who use certain slogans and phrases while trying to address a rise in anti-Jewish hate crimes in the UK.

The announcement was a response, London and Greater Manchester metropolitan police forces said, to the Bondi Beach attack, in which 15 people died.

Police forces cited a series of incidents on British soil, including a vehicle and a knife. Assault outside a synagogue in Manchester in October 2025 that left two Jews dead.

“Anti-Semitic hate crimes have increased, protests have intensified and online abuse has increased since 2023,” police forces said. “The growing fear in Jewish communities and the high number of foiled terrorist attacks in recent years require an enhanced response.”

“The words and chants used, especially in protests, matter and have real-world consequences,” the statement said. “Now, in the context of increasing threat, we will recalibrate to be more assertive.”

“We know that communities are concerned about banners and chants such as ‘globalize the intifada’ and those who use them in future protests or selectively should expect action from the Met and GMP,” the two forces said. “Violent acts have occurred, the context has changed: words have meaning and consequences. We will act decisively and make arrests.”