Appeal court rules UK ban on Palestine Action lawful as 117 arrested in London protest

The appeal ruling

On Monday, five Court of Appeal judges in London ruled that the government's proscription of Palestine Action as a terrorist group was lawful, overturning a February High Court judgment that had found the ban disproportionate. The presiding judge, Sue Carr, said it was a "fundamental mistake" to overlook that the organisation openly promotes unlawful violence equivalent to terrorism. The ban, imposed under then-home secretary Yvette Cooper on 5 July 2025, makes membership or support a criminal offence, with a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.

“It is a fundamental mistake to overlook the fact that Palestine Action overtly promotes unlawful violence amounting to terrorism.”

Arrests on Monday

While the judges delivered their ruling, police detained 117 people outside the Royal Courts of Justice on suspicion of supporting a proscribed organisation. Some protesters held signs reading "I support Palestine Action." City of London Police made two further arrests at a demonstration outside the Old Bailey. The Metropolitan Police said expressing support for Palestine Action remains a criminal offence and that officers will continue to arrest those who break the law.

“We acknowledge the Court of Appeal's judgment that the Home Secretary's decision to proscribe Palestine Action was lawful. This means that expressing support for the organisation remains a criminal offence and officers will arrest those who break the law.”

Palestine Action's campaign

The direct action group was founded six years ago and targets companies involved in weapons supply to Israel, including Elbit Systems, Leonardo, Thales and Teledyne. Its activists have broken into factories and a Royal Air Force base, spraying aircraft with paint and destroying equipment. The group's operations have caused more than £1 million in damage. A document called The Underground Manual encourages the formation of secret cells and provides guidance on damaging government buildings and corporate property.

Arrests3,000

Charged700

Damage (£m)1

Arrests

3000

Charged

700

Damage (£m)

1

Data from the article text

The Home Office says the organisation operates through covert cells to avoid detection, and the appeal judges concluded it is not a transparent civil disobedience movement but a clandestine network that uses violence to destroy property and injure people.

Co-founder vows further appeals

Huda Ammori, co-founder of Palestine Action, said she will challenge the ruling at the Supreme Court and, if necessary, at the European Court of Human Rights. She called the ban "one of the most extreme attacks on freedom of expression and the right to protest in modern British history." Current Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood welcomed the decision, stating the group had carried out acts of terrorism and that its proscription followed a rigorous, parliament-backed process.

“We cannot trust a legal system that completely botched the Filton case and now the Palestine Action ban. This fight can only be won by the people.”

Thousands already arrested

Since the proscription came into force in July 2025, more than 3,000 people have been arrested on suspicion of supporting Palestine Action, and over 700 have been charged under the Terrorism Act. Among those detained was Deborah Hinton, an 82-year-old former magistrate from Truro, who described Monday's judgment as "devastating" and said she felt it was her duty to take a stand. Last week, a court sentenced four activists for smashing drones at an Israeli-owned factory near Bristol, applying a "terrorist connection" to their offending.

“One did hold out hope that the government would see sense. We haven't got enough money to have a proper defence system for this country and yet they're wasting millions on this ridiculous prosecution of people holding placards.”