Since the UK government imposed a ban on Palestine Action on 4 July, police have arrested over 700 individuals, using anti-terrorism legislation, across multiple protests nationwide, for defying the proscription. The largest single-day detention occurred at a London demonstration in Parliament Square, where 532 peaceful protesters were arrested, 522 of them charged under the Terrorism Act, while holding signs stating opposition to genocide and support for Palestine Action. These mass arrests, unprecedented in scale for anti-terrorism operations linked solely to protest affiliations, have sparked outrage from civil liberties organizations, human rights advocates, and the UN.
UN: equating peaceful political activism with terrorism is disproportionate and violates international law
Among those arrested were prominent activists and spokespeople from the Defend Our Juries campaign, whose homes were raided in dawn operations and charged with terrorism offenses. Amnesty International and UN human rights officials have condemned these arrests as serious violations of international law and disproportionate responses equating peaceful political activism with terrorism.
The ban means that membership in, or support for, Palestine Action a criminal offence. Sections of the Terrorism Act criminalize not only violent acts but also the mere wearing of Palestine Action paraphernalia, fundraising efforts, or public expressions deemed ‘reckless’ in encouraging support for the banned organization. Consequently, protests, social media posts, and even peaceful shows of solidarity have come under heightened legal scrutiny.
The Network for Police Monitoring (Netpol), exposes and challenges unjust policing practices and supports those affected by them. Kat Hobbs is Netpol’s spokesperson. They told the Canary:
Facing charges for a terrorism offence can have a serious impact on people’s lives, and a conviction means people face risks around losing employment, travelling internationally, having bank accounts frozen and their immigration status.
Policing concerns over Defend Our Juries
Palestine Action, since its inception in 2020, has galvanized UK-based direct action campaigning against the British arms industry’s complicity in Israel’s genocide in Gaza . The group carried out highly successful, nonviolent but disruptive direct actions at Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems’ UK sites, and also an action at RAF Brize Norton airbase, which prompted the government’s proscription under the Terrorism Act 2000.
The counter-terror laws empowering such prosecutions grant police broadly defined and discretionary powers. This ambiguity has triggered criticism that enforcement disproportionately targets minoritised communities and activists, often underpinned by systemic racist and Islamophobic biases, a pattern consistent with past counter-terrorism policing in the UK. The policing of protests demonstrates this disparity: similar public actions against Palestine Action face wildly divergent responses across cities, with some participants arrested on terrorism charges for merely holding signage. The use of Section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000 to arrest individuals for items ‘arousing reasonable suspicion’ adds to the chilling effect on free expression.
While the government insists the ban is necessary to prevent property destruction and maintain public order, the proscription faces mounting judicial scrutiny. Recent High Court decisions allow figures like Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori to challenge the ban’s legality, questioning the appropriateness of categorizing direct action groups as terrorist organizations absent violence against individuals. The Defend Our Juries movement has mobilized hundreds to continue protesting, openly defying the ban with mass demonstrations planned despite legal risks. Protesters have been urged to refuse ‘street bail’, aiming to overload police capacity and highlight ongoing state repression.
UK government tightening its grip on dissent
The ban and ensuing arrests signal a tightening governmental grip on dissent, particularly regarding Palestine solidarity activism. The UK’s actions diverge sharply from broader international standards for human rights and the protection of peaceful protest, drawing criticism from global watchdogs.
The designation of Palestine Action as a terrorist entity, with penalties that include prison sentences up to 14 years and unlimited fines, broadens the scope of counter-terror measures from violent acts to symbolic association and expression, and this threatens not only pro Palestine activism but the very foundations of democratic protest in the UK.
Despite the crackdown, solidarity actions persist, with events continually drawing hundreds, if not thousands, in cities across the UK. Activists stress the moral duty to resist what they see as complicity in genocide through UK arms sales, while many politicians, lawyers, and cultural figures join critics arguing the government’s harsh measures may stifle legitimate discourse and political organizing.
The government’s proscription of Palestine Action represents one of the most extensive uses of anti-terror laws against political protest in recent UK history. Legal resources from groups like Netpol and CAGE International provide crucial guidance for individuals caught in this legal maze—outlining the risks of arrest, the limitations of free speech under counter-terror laws, and precautions for interactions with police or engagement in online activism.
Notably, while past support for Palestine Action before July 2025 cannot be prosecuted retrospectively, current expressions of support, attendance at pro-Palestine Action events, or public display of related materials now bear considerable legal risks.
More information for activists attending Defend Our Juries protests
To help Defend Our Juries activists caught in this legal maze, Netpol has produced an extensive explainer on Palestine Action’s ban, breaking down what the ban means in practice and including a detailed FAQ on proscription, and have a guide to your rights if you are stopped by police under the Terrorism Act.
CAGE International offers vital resources on rights during counter-terror policing, including what to do if subjected to a house raid or an arrest under the Terrorism Act, and also have a guide on what to do if you are arrested under the Terrorism Act.
If you’re considering taking action, Climate Action Support Pathway (CASP) has produced a legal briefing ahead of the planned protests this weekend.
The next protest to Lift the Ban is this Saturday, 6 September. See here for more information.
Featured image via the Canary
