Britain’s move to classify the activist group Palestine Action as a terror organisation is being challenged at London’s High Court on Wednesday, setting up a major test of how far anti terror laws can reach. The group’s co founder, Huda Ammori, argues the decision was an improper stretch of the law and has had broad consequences for peaceful protest.
The outcome carries wide significance. If the court agrees the listing was unlawful, more than two hundred people charged for expressing support for the group could gain a path to defend their cases and possibly have prosecutions dropped.
Palestine Action was officially listed in July, placing it in the same category as armed extremist groups. The listing followed a series of incidents in which activists targeted British sites connected to Israeli defence companies, including a break in at RAF Brize Norton in June that left two aircraft damaged. The Home Office said at the time the group had moved from property damage into conduct that risked public safety.
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Ammori’s legal team says the listing wrongly blurs the line between violent extremism and disruptive protest. In written arguments, they pointed to situations where individuals at marches were questioned by officers for pro Palestinian chants even when they made no mention of Palestine Action. They say this shows the ban has chilled political expression far beyond its stated aim.
Founded in 2020, Palestine Action gained a profile for sit ins and paint attacks at factories, offices and suppliers linked to Elbit Systems and other companies tied to Israel’s defence sector. These protests increased after the outbreak of the Gaza conflict. According to Reuters, six members were arrested early this year over an alleged plan to interrupt trading at the London Stock Exchange.
Another six individuals went on trial last week following a raid on an Elbit site. They face charges including aggravated burglary, criminal damage and violent disorder. Prosecutors say one of the accused struck a police officer with a sledgehammer during the incident.
The ban was introduced by Yvette Cooper, who served as interior minister at the time. Rights groups including Amnesty International and Liberty have backed certain elements of Ammori’s challenge, saying property damage during protest should not be placed on par with organised violence intended to intimidate the public.
Since the listing, British police have arrested more than two thousand people for holding signs or chanting in support of the group. Many of the signs read I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action. Six people also face charges for arranging meetings that prosecutors describe as attempts to encourage large scale civil disobedience.
If the High Court rules in Ammori’s favour, defendants facing prosecution would be able to argue that the underlying ban was invalid. That could reshape the country’s treatment of protest related offences linked to the Gaza war and prompt a fresh look at the limits of political expression. A decision is expected later this year.
