Protests and Arrests Mark Legal Battle Over Palestine Action Ban in London
Demonstrations erupted outside a London courthouse on Thursday, leading to numerous arrests as individuals protested in favor of Palestine Action, a group recently designated as a terrorist organization by the British authorities.
The legal proceedings have intensified as Palestine Action is granted permission to appeal the year-long ban at the U.K. Supreme Court. The ban criminalizes membership or support for the organization, with penalties reaching up to 14 years of imprisonment.
Outside Westminster Magistrates’ Court, 117 individuals were detained by the Metropolitan Police for endorsing a proscribed organization. The demonstrators vocalized their opposition, chanting “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action,” while bystanders condemned the arrests with cries of “Shame!”
Since the group was outlawed, over 3,000 individuals have been detained for actions as minor as displaying messages of support for Palestine Action. Despite over 1,200 charges under the Terrorism Act, no convictions have been made yet.
The government’s decision to ban Palestine Action followed a high-profile incident in June 2025, where activists infiltrated a Royal Air Force base to protest the U.K.’s military support for Israel’s actions in Gaza. Although the ban was initially overturned by the High Court in February, it was later deemed lawful by the Court of Appeal in June, citing that the group’s activities surpassed peaceful civil disobedience, involving violence to destroy property and cause injury.
With the Supreme Court set to hear the case between October and December, founder Huda Ammori will argue against the ban. All legal proceedings against individuals charged under the ban are paused pending the Supreme Court’s decision.
Civil liberties organizations argue that the ban and subsequent arrests infringe upon the fundamental rights to protest and free speech. Thomas Bell, acting U.K. director at Human Rights Watch, criticized the use of counterterrorism measures to suppress dissent, stating, “Using counterterror powers to suppress dissent goes against democratic values and harms freedom of expression and assembly in this country.” He further called on Prime Minister Andy Burnham to address the issue.
